TAs walk out; negotiations to continue

Members of the Teaching Assistants’ Association launched a two-day walkout Tuesday, April 27, in support of their ongoing contract negotiations with the Office of State Employment Relations.

TAA members walked picket lines at major buildings around campus, including Bascom Hall, Social Sciences Building, Vilas Hall and Van Hise Hall. As Wisconsin Week went to press Tuesday, it was unclear how many classes had been canceled or moved to other locations as a result of the job action.

More than 1,200 TAA-represented teaching, program and project assistants were expected to participate.

Although the TAA action appeared to be causing some disruption of normal class schedules, Provost Peter Spear says the university had advised students to attend class, and faculty and staff to teach and work as they normally would.

“On the whole, we expect the university to operate as normally as possible,” he says. “We hope members of the campus community will continue to approach this situation with a spirit of patience and flexibility.”

Spear added that classes canceled during the walkout should be made up or have equivalent work assigned before the end of the semester. Faculty are encouraged to contact their department chairs for details.

“We believe that students are entitled to the full value of a semester’s education and should not be penalized by actions of the TAA,” says Spear. “We support the TAA’s goal of securing a competitive economic package and hope that a settlement can be reached. However, we do not condone the TAA job action.”

UW–Madison officials have created a Web site, http://www.news.wisc.edu/taa/, to provide updates and timely answers to frequently asked questions.

In the event of a grade strike, the university is assuring all students and their parents that grades will be issued at the end of the semester, Spear says. A university task force will deal with grading problems and procedures, should difficulties arise.

“Providing timely, accurate grades is part of our obligation to students,” he says. “Over the course of the next few weeks, departments in Letters and Science, and other colleges will work with administrators to create a workable system so that this can be accomplished.”

The Office of State Employment Relations has offered the TAA a 4.6 percent pay increase that would bring their stipend above the midpoint of peer institutions. The offer also represents one of the highest percentage increases of any collective bargaining unit in the state.

However, the state’s desire for TAs to contribute toward their health insurance has been a major sticking point in negotiations. The three groups are expected to return to the bargaining table next week.