COGS News
December 2005
COGS Members Say No! to College of Liberal Arts & Sciences TA Cuts!
SPEAK Test and Petition to Support International Students
Support Striking TAs and RAs at NYU
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The UI Works Because We Do! COGS Members Say NO! to CLAS TA Cuts!
As was announced just before the Thanksgiving break, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) is intending to cut TA lines by 10%. This translates into a loss of about 160 teaching jobs in the college. Anyone who read the Daily Iowan article (“Liberal arts to cut TAs,” Nov. 17) can see that this plan is an attack on the work that graduate teaching assistants do at the University of Iowa: teaching.
On December 12, 2005, members of UE Local 896-COGS staged a Grade-In to protest these planned cuts. Since it was Finals Week at the UI, COGS members brought their own work to remind the UI that THE UNIVERSITY WORKS BECAUSE WE DO!
COGS President Patrick Oray (American Studies) presents the UI's Grades during the Fall 2005 Grade In.
COGS Members busy working during the Fall 2005 Grade In.
The UI Works Because We Do!
Geoffrey Smith (Geography) grades papers while expressing his feelings about the proposed cut to TA lines.
The UI Works Because We Do!
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Petition Campaign Supporting International Student Rights!
On January 19, 2006, over 30 members of UE-COGS presented over 500 signatures to UI General Counsel Mark Mills, representing UI President David Skorton, demanding that the University drop its $300 training fee for International Graduate Employees and that the testing process become more transparent. Additionally, UE-COGS members requested a meeting with President Skorton and a dialogue be established in order to discuss and make changes to this unfair UI Policy.
The grievance filed by UE-COGS on this issue is currently waiting for arbitration.
The text of the petition presented to the UI follows:
PETITION IN SUPPORT OF INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS We, the undersigned, recognize that the University of Iowa (UI) publicly acknowledges a commitment to being a leading research institution as well as a commitment to the promotion of cultural diversity. However, we believe the application of current policies regarding the acquisition of English as a second language calls into question the sincerity of these commitments. Our contentions are as follows:
In the interests of academic excellence, cultural diversity and general ideas of fairness, we, the undersigned, demand that the University of Iowa cease the above practices.
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Support Striking TAs & RAs at New York University
Members of GSOC/UAW Local 2110 at New York University (NYU) have been on strike since November 9, 2005. In 2002, GSOC successfully won a contract with NYU - the first labor contract for graduate assistants at a private university in the US! However, NYU is now refusing to negotiate a second contract with GSOC and is currently threatening all TAs and RAs on strike with punitive action, including not allowing those TAs & RAs on strike to work or register for classes in the Spring Semester.
UE-COGS is supporting our brethren at NYU and encourages all members and non-members to add their name to an online petition to be delivered to NYU President John Sexton. The petition can be accessed here.
Click here for more information on GSOC/UAW Local 2110. Click here for information specifically relating to their strike.
