GSOC-UAW

Welcome Back and Update from GSOC/UAW

Welcome back!  We hope that you had a relaxing and productive summer and are ready for what is sure to be an eventful fall semester.

We are writing to update you on our ongoing efforts to establish our union and secure collective bargaining rights for all TAs, RAs and GAs at NYU.  We would also like to invite you to attend an important march in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, October 2. For more information, please see below!

 

UPDATE on Our Petition for Legal Recognition

This spring, the majority of NYU graduate employees again chose GSOC/UAW to represent us in collective bargaining with the university administration. The highly respected American Arbitration Association independently confirmed our majority.  On April 26, 2010, we asked the NYU administration to respect the will of the majority and voluntarily recognize our union.  The NYU administration, however, refused to work with us.

On May 3, 2010, we began the process of achieving legal recognition for our union by filing a petition for representation with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).  Filing the petition in no way prevents the NYU administration from ever doing the right thing and voluntarily choosing to recognize our union.

We – joined by our political and community allies – have time and time again approached the university administration in good faith. The NYU administration, however, has responded by hiring an infamous and expensive anti-union law firm, Proskeur Rose, to represent them before the NLRB. These Proskeur lawyers have made careers out of combating private sector graduate employee organizing at NYU, Columbia, and Yale.  See http://www.proskauer.com/professionals/edward-brill/.

The NYU administration continues to deny NYU graduate employees our internationally recognized rights to collective bargaining and freedom of association – rights our graduate colleagues at elite public research universities like the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Michigan have enjoyed for over forty years.

We anticipate legal proceedings to begin within the next month or so and will keep you updated as soon as more information becomes available.

 

JOIN US: “One Nation Working Together” March in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, October 2

Please join us on Sunday, October 2nd in Washington D.C. for a march in support of the creation of good quality jobs, affordable public education, and social and economic justice.  The march is organized by a diverse coalition of organizations under the banner of One Nation Working Together. More information is available here:http://onenationworkingtogether.org/ 

The UAW will provide round trip transportation between New York and D.C., as well as a breakfast snack and a small lunch stipend – probably $15 per person. Bus transportation is also available to family and friends.  Buses will depart early on Sunday and return later that evening.  It will be a long day, but it will be worth it!

We’d like to have a strong GSOC/UAW contingent.  If you are interested in attending,  please contact us at gsocuaw@gmail.com.