Fun_People Archive
18 Dec
Fw: Yale TAs facing retalliation (fwd)
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 95 23:11:38 -0800
From: Peter Langston <psl>
To: Fun_People
Subject: Fw: Yale TAs facing retalliation (fwd)
Forwarded-by: Lani Herrmann <lanih@info.sims.berkeley.edu>
Forwarded-by: Lucy Kuntz <lkuntz>
Forwarded-by: graduateassembly-owner@uclink2.berkeley.edu
Forwarded-by: "Jess Bravin" <jessb@uclink2.berkeley.edu>
Subject: BLACKLISTING ALERT AT YALE UNIVERSITY
To all concerned:
On Dec 7th, graduate student teachers at Yale University voted to withold
grades until the administration agreed to enter into good faith
negotiations. The response of both faculty and the administration has
been one of intimidation, threats of academic reprisals and expulsion.
One tenured faculty member responded with telling his TA that he would do
everything in his power to get her expelled. A famous, "radical"
post-colonial tenured critic in the English dept called in her TAs and
threatened them with everything possible until the TA became hysterical.
The dean of Yale college actually did write a blacklisting letter because
his graduate student was merely a member, before she even made a decision
to strike. Another famous historian, who has written a number of
books on liberalism and the western tradition, equated striking TAs with
Rabin's killers and told his TA that he can not work with her as an
advisor. She came to this university to work with him. Another tenured
professor told his striking TA that she would refuse to write him a
letter of recommedation if he participated in the strike. We accept
having our pay docked if we strike, but being blacklisted from the
academy is unacceptable.
Please, fax or email the president of Yale, Richard Levin. Fax if at
all possible. Tell him you have heard what is going on. Tell him to
issue a statement that the right to organize will be respected at Yale.
Tell him that this kind of behavior is unacceptable at such a respected and
reknowned university. Tell him you would not recommend graduate students
apply here and that it is shameful. Also, if you will, urge him to sit
down in good faith negotiations with TAs so as to avoid a full strike in
the Spring.
Please send this message to all concerned.
Levin's fax number is 203-432-7105
His email is Ricard.Levin@yale.edu
Also, please cc a copy to me at the above address and the Yale Daily
News at 203-432-7424 (fax) or ydn@minerva.cis.yale.edu
Thank you,
Greg Grandin
Dept of History
Yale University
© 1995 Peter Langston