Graduate assistants decided to support the faculty in any way the faculty find necessary.

Mike Hoerger, Midland graduate assistant, said nothing specific has been discussed as a group throughout the Graduate Student Union, but if the faculty requested the graduate assistants to help out in any way, they would.

“A lot of times with strikes it ends up not happening, so we are just waiting,” Hoerger said. “It’s all up to the faculty.”

Hoerger said he has not been in contact with the Faculty Association on a regular basis, but he will get in contact with them if a strike does occur.

Heather Stricker, graduate assistant from Iowa, said CMU has some really good faculty and graduate assistants but is falling behind on what other universities are doing with competitive salaries and health benefits for graduate assistants.

Both unions are dealing with similar things, Stricker said.

“Being another union, we would support them like they would support us,” she said.

Hoerger said how the administration is handling the situation with the faculty portrays how situations with the graduate student union would also be handled.

“That’s a big reason we need a union,” he said. “If the faculty didn’t have a union, they wouldn’t be able to do anything at all.”

The Graduate Student Union already took a vote to write a letter of support to the faculty, which was published in CM Life Oct. 1, said Alyssa Warshay, Ferndale graduate student.

What the faculty are doing now could show that if a stand is taken, it proves what’s most important, Warshay said. The faculty could show other union members what are effective strategies, she said.

If the faculty decide to strike, they would have their own strategies, Hoeger said.

“We would be receptive to help in any way we can,” he said.

Stricker said the main focus right now is to have other students have a positive outlook on this issue.

“There needs to be ill feelings toward the administration and not the faculty,” Stricker said.

There is also the issue of respecting union lines, Stricker said.

“If there is a picket, we won’t cross picket lines,” she said.

news@cm-life.com

E-mail the author: Sarah Schuch