Striking graduate students at New York University have placed their soapboxes back on the shelf - temporarily.
NYU graduate student leaders say the campaign is "alive and well" despite the hiatus and they will continue their protests in other ways. And Penn graduate students are still vocal in their support for their NYU brethren.
Student organizers say they halted the strike in order to consult with new membership before rekindling the protests.
The strike - which started in November 2005 - lasted until Sept. 5 last Tuesday the first day of classes at NYU.
NYU's Graduate Student Organizing Committee, a group that advocates for graduate students, began the strike after NYU stopped recognizing its official union in August 2005.
Although a small group of loyal NYU graduate students refused to serve as TAs for classes, the strike was largely symbolic.
Graduate-union organizers at Penn - known as Graduate Employees Together-UPenn - say that although they supported the NYU strike, no plans are being made for a strike at Penn.
"GET-UP has gone on small strikes before, but things are pretty stable here right now," Communications graduate student and GET-UP spokesman Bill Herman said.
GSOC organizers say membership issues prompted the strike "recess" because the student base needed to be re-galvanized.
"Our membership will not begin the academic year on strike," NYU graduate student and GSOC Chairman Michael Palm said. "The decision to embark upon such action must be reached collectively."
The strike was originally meant to protest NYU's refusal to recognize the union, but since then GSOC has also fought for the right to collectively bargain for its members.
"The university has cut back on benefits for grad students," said Maida Rosenstein, president of Local 2110, the organization that represents GSOC. "It couldn't do that if a union contract were in place."
Though the strike has been put on hold, organizers maintain that students are still frustrated with NYU policy and will continue to protest any way they can.
"We're in the process of talking to new people and explaining to them why what we do is important," NYU graduate student and GSOC spokeswoman Susan Valentine said.
GET-UP's goals are similar to GSOC's: Both groups want recognition and extended graduate-student benefits from their respective universities.
"The University sometimes gives in to our demands to forestall membership in GET-UP," Herman said.
