Research as a "fake job"

[loinburger]

Does anybody have a copy of the thread where a bunch of morons said that "research assistant" isn't a real job? I'm trying to recall whether any of them ever made a cogent argument in support of their ill-informed opinion, but sadly my memory fails me, and the archive appears to have been purged since the thread in question made its appearance.

[Kuciwalker]

Research assistant? What kind of fake job is that?

[Boris Godunov]

If I was going to get a fake a job, I would rather have the kind of fake job that actually entails not doing any hard work. RA definitely wouldn't apply.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

I have a fake job. Doesn't make it any less interesting or difficult.

[Tuberski]

Re: Research as a "fake job"

Originally posted by loinburger
Does anybody have a copy of the thread where a bunch of morons said that "research assistant" isn't a real job? I'm trying to recall whether any of them ever made a cogent argument in support of their ill-informed opinion, but sadly my memory fails me, and the archive appears to have been purged since the thread in question made its appearance.

You need a reasearch assistant to find it.

ACK!

[JohnT]

Do you recall who started the thread? Was it about RA positions, or jobs in general?

Archive-guy needs more clues!

[loinburger]

I think it was Ramo who started the thread -- the premise was about how RA's were trying to unionize at some university or another, with the douchebag-backlash being primarily focused on how research assistants didn't do "real work" and thus had no right to unionize. So an archive search for "student," "union," "Ramo," and "research assistant" ought to yield some results, assuming that the archive is not regularly purged of threads that are too off-topic and/or are not off-topic enough. I'm probably off on at least one search point, though, since it's probably been at least a year since the thread was active.

[Kuciwalker]

I think the argument was that it was part of education and therefore they didn't have the right to unionize any more than a normal student.

[loinburger]

Yeah, if I remember correctly then you were one of the "I've been to high school, so I know everything there is to know about college" screech monkeys, though I may be confusing you for somebody else.

[JohnT]

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

You're welcome.

[JohnT]

Btw, it was Ted Striker who was making that argument.

And you're right about Kuci's role in the fracas as well...

[loinburger]

Originally posted by JohnT
NLRB: Grad students in private universities lose the right to unionize!

You're welcome.

Huzzah! I have no idea why my archive search for "research assistant" or "research" didn't turn that up, but, such is life.

[JohnT]

Charlie doesn't surf, Archive doesn't search.

You have to look it up, page by page.

Having the thread starter was a big help, though.

[JohnT]

And Dissident made an ass of himself as well.

Whoda thunk it?

[JohnT]

Loinburger: "Keep up the good work, Ted. And, for good measure, wrap around my ass."