NLRB: Grad students in private universities lose the right to unionize!

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
You might want to tell science departments the world over that RAships and TAships are rare opportunities, because every grad student's got one....

Actually, already addressed. Just one more bit of evidence that Ted hasn't the faintest idea what he's talking about, but is rather just blowing a lot of hot air.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
No, but the primary purpose of graduate research is working towards one's graduate degree (even if the research isn't directly related to your thesis, that is why you're doing it).

No, the primary purpose is to get paid.

[Ted Striker]

So you guys wouldn't mind if these positions were opened up to non students?

[KrazyHorse]

Boris, if you'll excuse me I've got about 300 other posts in this thread to respond to.

Plus you're breaking my streak.

[Ramo]

They are open to nonstudents. That's what post-docs do

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
So you guys wouldn't mind if these positions were opened up to non students?

Find me a non-student with a bachelor's degree in physics willing to work 20 hours a week for 15k a year pre-taxes.

Average starting salary for a BSc in physics is 55k, by the way.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
So you guys wouldn't mind if these positions were opened up to non students?

They don't want to hire nonstudents, because to get qualified people to do what TAs do, they'd have to pay a LOT more money and offer things like benefits.

Have you actually put any thought into this?

[Ted Striker]

Cool. So we can just hire a bunch of postdocs to do all that crucial work that is so desparatley needed.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Yes you are. I paid to be tought by a professor, not you.

The professors don't mark stuff. I do.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
Cool. So we can just hire a bunch of postdocs to do all that crucial work that is so desparatley needed.

Sure. Postdocs get paid more than twice as much as we do, BTW.

[Ramo]

[q]Cool. So we can just hire a bunch of postdocs to do all that crucial work that is so desparatley needed./q]

Sure, if you can find enough that'll accept the piss-poor wages grad students are paid.

[Ted Striker]

Well which one is it guys?

If they are so hard to come by why the need of a union?

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Dissident


I'm talking about starting from the bottom. You can't expect to have everything. The kids are greedy and want money. that's all it comes down to. You'd think its enough their rich parents are putting them through grad school.

My parents are rich?

My parents are putting me through school?

That's odd, because I was under the impression that my parents weren't giving me money or paying my bills. I guess I was wrong.

[Ramo]

I've never said that they're hard to come by, that was your bald assertion.

As for the need:
"To bargain over wages, working conditions, health care, administrative practices, etc., etc. The same reasons any other group of workers would need a union for."

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
Well which one is it guys?

If they are so hard to come by why the need of a union?

Because students are willing to put up with a lot of **** since it's temporary. But it doesn't mean that me performing service in exchange for pay isn't work. And it doesn't mean that I shouldn't have the right to unionise my fellow TAs and RAs.