U of MN strike continues

Since our stupid city newspaper doesn't seem interested in covering the University of Minnesota's clerical and hospital workers' strike for a raise that merely keeps up with the cost of inflation, one has to look elsewhere for information. This opinion piece by Professor Ann Markuson is absolutely right on, and points to the gender dimension of the higher raises going to the predominantly male senior administrators and faculty while the mostly female clerical workers get the shaft. The MN Daily has an editorial supporting the workers (and they cite Jose Marti! right on!). At least 152 classes were held off campus in the first week; this story cites some of my wonderful colleagues and their principled response to the rather thuggish rhetoric of the administration. Pickets are visible and get visible (and audible) support from those of us who are contractually obligated to stay on the job according to state law. The University is refusing to return to the bargaining table, and has attracted the ire of state legislators who fought last year to increase the amount in the state budget allocated to the University, precisely in order to provide more money for the lowest paid workers.
My favorite solidarity letter comes from the Anthro department.

In a letter addressed to the regents and University President Robert Bruininks, state Representatives Tom Rukavina and Mary Murphy, chairs of two key Minnesota House Higher Education Finance Committees, wrote in part, "We are deeply disappointed that thousands of university employees have been forced onto the picket lines due to the unwillingness of the university administration to provide adequate contact settlements for its clerical, technical and health care workers.

"For the first time in many years, the Minnesota Legislature provided the university with a generous 3.25 percent salary supplement. We expected those funds to be used to benefit all university employees. We can't understand how you can justify your minuscule offer of 2.25 percent on the salary schedule for your hardworking, dedicated employees."

Two days of teach-ins, rallies and marches--a lot of learning is going on at the U, but unfortunately what a lot of folks are learning is just how ugly a university can really get. All the rhetoric about excellence, valuing its workers, bla bla blabbity bla, but when it comes down to it, the University president's raise last year (17%) was about $38,000, more than the average yearly gross salary of a clerical worker, bringing his pay to an obscene $450,000 a year.