As you likely have heard, the newly formed Alaska Graduate Workers Association
(AGWA) has voted to authorize its bargaining committee to set a strike date. This
vote does not necessarily mean they will go on strike, but it gives their bargaining
committee permission to call a strike imminently. AGWA is not affiliated with
UNAC, but as our union siblings and our students, we support their bargaining
goals of fair treatment and improved compensation.
We know many of our members' jobs will be directly affected if AGWA goes on
strike this spring. The following is a Q&A covering some basics of what United
Academics members may and may not do during this unprecedented moment for
the University of Alaska system.
Q: When will they actually go on strike??
A: We don’t know but it could be as soon as before the end of the spring
semester.
Q: How is my grant supposed to pay for the salary increases AGWA is
asking for?
A: It's our understanding that grants will not have to fund AGWA’s salary
increases. UA can ask the legislature to appropriate state money to fund graduate
student salaries. In fact, UA and AGWA agree that the legislative deadline to ask
for additional money to fund AGWA’s demands is the reason for their tight
bargaining timeline.
IF AGWA GOES ON STRIKE:
Q: What should I do if my supervisor asks me to do the work my graduate
student worker was formerly doing (i.e., grading, leading labs, teaching
classes, leading projects, etc.)?
A: You are not required to do the work of striking graduate student workers.
Article 13 of our CBA specifies that an overload cannot be assigned without a
member's consent, and refusal of an overload cannot be used as the basis for
disciplinary actions, an unsatisfactory review, or non-retention. To the extent you
are comfortable, do not do the work of striking AGWA members.
If you agree to take on extra work, Article 15 of our CBA requires overload
compensation for additional work performed beyond your workload duties.
UNAC leadership knows that faculty already work full jobs and have full academic
and personal lives. We cannot be compelled to take on extra work beyond what
our CBA allows. Please contact UNAC with specific questions or concerns.
Q: What am I allowed to say to graduate student workers affected by the
strike?
A: We encourage faculty to support their graduate workers in their decision to
strike, but faculty should not ask graduate workers whether or not they intend to
strike. We recognize this may seem innocuous, especially for those supportive of
their graduate workers, but, in many instances, faculty are viewed as managers
and there are legal proscriptions for supervisors.
On the other hand, if you find out a graduate worker is striking, you are under no
obligation to share this information with your department, dean, etc. In addition,
AGWA members are allowed to initiate strike conversations with faculty
members. In this situation, you should have a friendly conversation with the
graduate worker, but you should not attempt to influence their decision.
Q: What should I do if my research assistants stop performing their work?
A: This will, of course, depend on individual lab or field situations. If you must
perform work normally done by graduate student workers in order to prevent
catastrophic equipment or experiment failures, we recommend performing the
minimum amount of additional work necessary and seeking overload pay for any
necessary additional work performed beyond your currently assigned workload.
We also encourage you to reach out to the UA administration to share how the
strike is affecting your work. Remember, the UA administration can give them a
fair contract and end the strike.
Q: What can I do to avoid negative consequences for undergraduate
students taught by TAs or otherwise affected by the strike?
A: Many faculty are rightly concerned about the impact on undergraduates, and
the administration will lean heavily on this to encourage us to go over and beyond
our usual obligations. Addressing the pedagogical impact on undergraduates is a
personal decision.
Making courses easier, taking over TA’s classes, canceling labs, etc., has its own
pedagogical disadvantages, and can serve to prolong a strike. Refusing to do
graduate student labor may result in late grades, and this has its own, serious
repercussions, which may serve to hasten a contract and end the strike.
Q: What should I do if a student gets upset about the situation?
A: If a student becomes upset with you for the impact of withheld graduate worker
labor, encourage them (or better yet, whoever is paying their tuition) to contact
President Pitney (ua.president@alaska.edu) and members of the Board of
Regents (ua-bor@alaska.edu) to let them know how the strike is impacting
them.
Q: Do I have to cross AGWA’s picket line?
A: CBA article 19 (No Strike/No Lockout) specifies that United Academics
bargaining unit members will not withhold our work to strike (including a solidarity
strike) while our contract is in force.
Despite that, we still have symbolic ways of showing solidarity with AGWA, such
as:
- Hold your graduate classes and office hours on Zoom, using one of our pro AGWA backgrounds
- Attend AGWA rallies and public events
- Join the picket line when you're not required to be in class, meetings, or other scheduled work events.
- Hang a solidarity sign on your office or lab door and use a solidarity Zoom background (download images from our website)
Q: Who should I contact if I have any questions or need advice?
A: Please get in touch with any UNAC officer, our Contract Manager, or our
Organizing Manager. We are here to be a resource during this stressful time.
Q: Why is UNAC supporting a disruptive action that has negative
consequences on our research and our students?
A: By standing with AGWA in solidarity, we not only help them improve their
working conditions, we help make UA a better place for all students to learn, live,
and thrive.
Check AGWA’s strike info webpage and UA’s strike FAQ webpage for more
information.