Carrying signs and chanting slogans such as "United we bargain, divided we beg," groups of students and some faculty held a rally on College Green yesterday to mark Student Labor Day of Action.
Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania members had a strong presence in the rally, but students in attendance were campaigning not only for unionization, but also for better education.
"The focus [of the rally] was making education about what students and teachers need, what they deserve," GET-UP co-spokeswoman Joanie Mazelis said.
"The effort in the University to unionize graduate employees is part of a larger effort to end exploitation of students and teachers," added Shane Duarte, the other GET-UP spokesman.
GET-UP and the University are currently awaiting a decision from the National Labor Relations Board as to whether Penn graduate students have the right to hold union elections. Hearings on the matter concluded last month.
Several students and a few faculty members gave short speeches on the students' case for unionization.
"It's important to exercise these democratic rights," English Professor Eric Cheyfitz said. "It seems to me quite clear that grad students are employees."
About 40 students attended the rally, which was held on the 34th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death. King was assassinated while campaigning for sanitation workers' rights, and since then April 4 has been Student-Labor Day of Action across the country.
The rally was sponsored by GET-UP, the United Minorities Council, Penn Students Against Sweatshops, Good Schools Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Area Jobs with Justice.
In addition to discussing graduate unionization, students claimed that corporations and privatization are having an adverse affect on education on all levels throughout the state, and specifically blasted the selection of Edison Schools, Inc. as one of the firms selected as a consultant for the revitalization of the Philadelphia school district.
"Pennsylvania schools are in dire, dire straits," said Mark Supanich, a representative from Good Schools Pennsylvania.
"Right now, the children in Philadelphia are first and foremost in everyone's mind," added College of General Studies junior Melissa Byrne, a member of PSAS.
GET-UP members said they feel that the University neglects students education and even the welfare of its faculty in favor of higher profits. They demonstrated this through a skit in which various Penn agencies rob a prospective Penn student, leaving only a dollar for the Teaching Assistant, while a faculty member desperately tries to apply for research grants.
"Corpritization of education... is a tremendous skewing of priorities," Duarte said.
Penn administrators have made it clear that they are against unionization of graduate students for several reasons. The main point of contention between GET-UP and the University is whether or not graduate students can be regarded as employees.
"They are students who are guided by and taught by faculty mentors," University spokeswoman Lori Doyle said. "Graduate students are not employees."
However, the NLRB has declared otherwise at New York, Brown, Columbia and Temple universities, ruling that graduate assistants can in fact be considered employees and allowing them to hold union elections.
"We have legal precedent saying we have the right to unionize," GET-UP member Robert Fairbanks said.
GET-UP members and supporters claim that insufficient wages and the lack of security of tenure can be detrimental to undergraduate education. Penn officials, however, say they believe the students are exaggerating.
"Their tuition is paid in full," Doyle said. "The stipends at Penn are competitive with peer institutions."
The University justifies its stance on unionization by claiming that graduate students are at Penn to receive an education, conduct research with faculty and gain another degree, not to earn a living. As they are not at Penn on a long term basis, officials say, the issue of tenure is irrelevant.
"Graduates are critical thinkers," Doyle said. "They leave a few years later as colleagues" of faculty members.
Event co-sponsors said they backed the graduate students in their efforts.
"We do support the people's right to organize," said UMC Chairman Papa Wassa Nduom, a College sophomore. He added that the UMC sponsored the rally because "it's on the principle of progressive issues."
Some of the UMC's concerns coincide with issues raised at the rally.
"Some of our constituents have had concerns with labor issues," said UMC Political Chairman Shaun Gonzales, a College junior.
GET-UP members and supporters said they thought the rally attracted an appropriate amount of attention.
"I thought it was a good turnout," Byrne said. She added that all the people traveling down Locust Walk witnessed the rally: "Hundreds of people heard what we had to say."
The University, however, was less impressed by the number of supporters.
"Free speech is at the core of what the University stands for," Doyle said. "It just seems like GET-UP seems to have little support in this and other rallies. It seems like only a handful of students participate."
