After months of hints and statements, New York University made it official Friday: It will no longer deal with the United Auto Workers union that represents teaching assistants.
NYU — the only private university ever to have a union for TA’s — said that collective bargaining interfered with academic decision making and was not needed to protect the interests of graduate students. “We believe that it is of the utmost importance to respect the principle that students are students and not employees,” said a letter sent by NYU administrators to students and faculty members, announcing the decision.
Graduate students immediately denounced the university’s decision and said that it might lead to a strike. “We have no choice but to escalate pressure,” said Michael Palm, a Ph.D. student in American studies and a leader in the union. “A strike is certainly a possibility. It’s a last resort, but all indications are that NYU is going to give us no choice,” he said.
Follow
