Yale TAs Threaten To Withhold Grades

A group of teaching assistants at Yale University has threatened to withhold final grades for most of the 5,000 undergraduate students in its latest labor battle with the Ivy League school.

The Graduate Employees and Students Organization (GESO) voted Thursday to withhold fall semester marks unless Yale recognizes it as a union.

The group, which represents about 700 teaching assistants, said the university's longstanding refusal to negotiate with it as a collective bargaining unit left members with little recourse.

"As teachers dedicated to the educational process, we do not like to...take actions that affect our students," said Robin Brown, the group's co-chair.

Graduate teaching assistants lead discussion sections and grade papers for nearly all of Yale's large lecture courses. The group represents about 75 percent of the teaching assistants in the humanities and social sciences, but none in the physical sciences. Group representatives would not disclose the margin of the vote.

University officials promised retaliation.

"I see the use of a grade for an ulterior purpose as a most serious violation of the compact of teaching. Surely this action won't go on without an appropriate response," said Dean of Yale College Richard Brodhead.

He said the university will "not ever" recognize the graduate group as a bargaining union.

For the past six weeks, the university has been negotiating with two recognized unions which represent Yale's clerical and other staff. The graduate group wants to take part in those talks.

Teaching assistants have complained that a typical graduate student earns $9,940 a year for a 22.5-hour work week, while it costs $15,000 a year to live in New Haven. Graduate students with families also pay $2,000 to $4,000 a year for health insurance for a spouse and children.

Yale officials noted, however, that the school pays tuition for 90 percent of its graduate students.

If grades are not handed in by Jan. 2, student transcripts will be delayed. The possibility that this could delay applications to graduate schools and intern programs angered some students and faculty.

"We're being used as pawns," said Yale junior Tom Chen, 20.

History professor Jonathan Spence accused the graduate assistants of betraying an academic trust.

"I think the people who agreed to teach should teach," he said.

"The administration is plunging the entire Yale community into turmoil for no good reason," Ann Wierda, a graduate student in the English department, said in a GESO press release. "We find ourselves in the difficult and unfortunate position of having to contemplate strong action to bring Yale to the negotiating table."

This report was compiled from Associated Press wire dispatches.