How the University Works: Higher Education and the Low-Wage Nation is a book and a blog by Marc Bousquet. He brings a class analysis to the business of higher education as a workplace. He is also the editor of The Politics of Information, an e-book you can download and read at altx e-books Here's the blurb for How the University Works, published by NYU Press:
This is the seamy underbelly of higher education — a world where faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates all work long hours for fast-food wages.
Tenure-track positions are at an all-time low, with adjuncts and graduate students teaching the majority of courses.
Burdened by debt, millions of undergraduates work multiple part-time jobs but quit before they earn a degree.
Meanwhile college presidents and basketball coaches rake in millions, even at schools where fewer than half of students are able to earn a degree in six years.
Assessing the costs of the corporate university at every level, How the University Works is urgent reading for anyone interested in the fate of higher education.
After an all-day negotiation session, representatives of the union are going back to their members with the same offer the University made before. But because the strikers can no longer afford to lose their wages and their health benefits (if they don't work during the next two-week pay period), they are not holding out. I completely understand, but I hate hate hate the University's self-serving BS about how they are really giving them such a great deal The Star Tribune article says this:
The two-year contract offer contains a 2.25 percent cost of living increase for clerical and technical workers, a 2.5 percent cost of living increase for health care workers, plus annual step raises for experience and a $300 lump sum in each year. Workers who don't receive step increases will get an additional $300 in each year. This offer will go to members without recommendation from the negotiating committee.
"We are forced back to work because we can no longer sustain the loss of salary and a looming end to our health care coverage. A typical striker earns $34,000 a years and qualifies for food stamps if supporting a family of four. We remain shocked by the administrations absolute disregard for people's lives," said Denise Osterholm, President of UMD Local 3.
About 1,000 of the 3,100 workers -- represented by AFSCME -- have been on strike since Sept. 5 over pay.
The university's position was that when combined with step raises for experience, most workers represented by AFSCME would receive raises of at least 8.5 percent for the contract’s two years
I'm sitting at a cafe, grading papers and watching it rain hard outside. I just ran into a graduate student with whom I shared the flight to Montreal where we both attended the Latin American Studies Association conference.She has a background as an activist, and is a scholar and a teacher. She is also one of the students who is on hunger strike. I didn't realize this until halfway through our conversation in which I was railing about how angry the University administration was making me. Her expression was so sad, but she is very resolute. I know another of the hunger strikers, a faculty colleague whose fierce and vibrant spirit has always been the driver for her teaching and scholarship. I hadn't planned to come to campus today, but I will be attending the teach-in by one of my colleagues who will talk about hunger strikes, Gandhi, and the history of this kind of action.
I'm afraid that many Minnesotans regard the hunger strike as "foolish" and unseemly, because it violates the Minnesota norm of not calling attention to yourself because to do so is even more wrong than any wrong you could possible be trying to protest.
Another colleague came up to embrace me. He is someone who has contributed immensely to the University in prestigious scholarship, multi-million dollar grants that have supported literally hundreds of graduate students from all over the world, and who holds the highest honors the University can bestow. He told me that he is so angry and sad about this strike that he no longer wants to work here, he hates what the University is doing. He has a long history as an activist-scholar, but I'm afraid that his response is indicative of the disgust and shame that many of us feel to be working for the University of Minnesota right now.
Yesterday I was on the picket line with Mary, one of the many wonderful child care workers how cared for my daughter with so much love and dedication.When I think of how her work is undervalued in comparison with the athletic directors and coaches who walked away with multi-million dollar bailouts, it hurts and it makes me mad.
No, I had no illusions about the corporate nature of the Big U. But I have a lot of love and respect for many of the people who work here, who genuinely give of themselves to help others learn and reach their life goals, who take pride in what they do and do it well, and it hurts to see the naked contempt with which the administration is now treating us, and the ignorance and indifference of so many of the people around us.
Two loser dudes, outgoing football and basketball coaches at the U of MN, received a total of $4 million in buyouts when they were fired this year! Because they're dudes and even loser dudes gotta get PAID! And hey, the athletic department will have to borrow money from Central (ie: WE are paying for it, not football tickets). But the U says it can't afford to raise the pay of its lowest-paid workers about $1 a day, you know those people who change our kids' diapers? take care of animals in the vet school? answer students' questions and correct the spelling of the University president? Here are some librarian support workers talking about the work they do.
The librarians are rather even-temprered, but I'm riled up. Chackin' blits. Gratt!
U of MN President Bob Bruininks is not hurting for money. Here's a sidebar from a U of MN Daily story about his compensation package:
Bruininks' Salary: In March, Bruininks received a 5 percent pay raise, bumping him to $384, 221 for academic year 2006-07. The Board of Regents voted unanimously in December to extend Bruininks contract through 2011. The deal included a 10 percent pay raise for 2007-08, to $423,000 and a 7.5 percent raise for 2008-09, to $455,000. Bruininks contract indicates that the Board of Regents will determine salary increases for subsequent years at a future meeting. Even with the raises, Bruininks will still make less money than more than half of his fellow Big Ten presidents.
"I've never made my compensation an issue and I'm not going to," Bruininks said. "I feel I'm fairly compensated." He said he agreed with the Board's logic that the University of "Minnesota should not develop a reputation for having the lowest compensation level for its chief executive." The contract also provides University housing at Eastcliff and a deferred compensation package totaling $150,000 in 2007-08 and increasing by $25,000 in each subsequent year. After the 2003 budget cuts, Bruininks eliminated 14 administrators' car allowances, including his own.
I received this letter/press release today:
Students start hunger strike for Justice: Call on Bruininks to provide a fair settlement
PRESS CONFERENCE: Patio in front of Morrill Hall, north end of the East Bank Mall, University of Minnesota, NOON on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2007.
At least 10 University of Minnesota students will begin an indefinite hunger strike on Monday in support of a fair settlement of the clerical, technical and healthcare workers’ strike entering its third week. In solidarity with this student-led effort, a faculty member, a staff member, and a striking worker will join them in their action. After exhausting all possibilities of communicating their message to President Bruininks and his administration, the group of students has organized the action as a HUNGER STRIKE FOR JUSTICE.Isaac Kamola, a hunger striker and a graduate student in political science, said, “we are frustrated by the inaccessibility of Bruininks’ administration. They have closed off all avenues of discussion, they flood our email with propaganda, and they are too afraid to debate in a public forum, because their position is so unreasonable.”
Undergraduate hunger striker, Sofia Shank, said, “Bruininks doesn’t seem to care about principles of democracy, justice, or equity. We have chosen to embark on a hunger strike that will raise people’s awareness of his lack of accountability to the public.”
The Hunger Strike for Justice aims to highlight the growing problem of wage inequality on campus, in which the University is unwilling to pay the relative pittance it would take to keep its lowest paid workers abreast of inflation, an issue at the heart of the current labor conflict. A survey conducted by the AFSCME union in 2005 found that 25% of union members working at the U had difficulties affording to feed their families. “We want justice for our community, and that means nobody in our university should go hungry,” explained Kyle Johnson, an undergraduate in fine arts. “Our hunger strike is meant to highlight a crisis that needs a resolution now: hundreds and hundreds of workers are going home to their families without a paycheck every day this strike drags on,” he concluded.
Students have vowed to refrain from all solid foods, and will subsist on only juices, water and salt. Aerospace engineering graduate student, Amit Singh, states, “The hunger strike will be difficult, but we feel that our actions reflect the urgency of the situation. The AFSCME workers have been on strike for twelve days now. The university community has overwhelmingly come out in support of our essential workers. But the administration continues to ignore requests for a fair and livable contract.” For many letters from groups of students and faculty supporting the union’s position, see http://www.uworkers.org.
Weather permitting, the students plan to maintain a public presence on the Northrop Mall. Students and their supporters will continue to go about their daily routine as much as possible, coming together to support each other and contributing to a debate on campus during their off time. The group encourages all members of the University and surrounding community to join them at the hunger strike site. Like University instructors, the hunger strikers will hold daily “office hours,” between 9:30am - 6 pm. During this time, they hope to engage fellow students in education about the issues of the AFSCME strike and answer any questions about the action.
In the evenings, the Hunger Strike for Justice will relocate to University Baptist Church, 1219 University Ave. SE, which also serves as the union’s strike headquarters.
Students are committing to continue their hunger strike in solidarity with the AFSCME campus locals until the Administration meets the union’s demands for a fair contract.
A letter from a former co-worker of U president Bob Bruininks calls him out. Tom Elko, environmental blogger and U of MN co-worker, is keeping us updated about the strike at The Sky Blue Waters Report. I really appreciate his work of keeping us informed because there seems to be a virtual news blackout by the Strib and even the MN Daily.
Marv Davidov, what a mensch! Our legislators who passed a funding package with the intent that some of it be used to support raises for the lowest paid workers are NOT HAPPY about the U's refusal to go back to the bargaining table. Hear them say it themselves:
They couldn't be more clear! Students, former students, and workers explain what the strike means to them:
Add him to the Elizabeth Edwards, who spoke at a workers rally, and Al Franken, who did the same.
Here is the letter he sent: Dear President Bruininks,
I write today to strongly encourage you to support your frontline health care, technical, and clerical workers who are represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. I am moving a campaign event I had scheduled at U of M for this Saturday off of University grounds in solidarity with the strikers.
The workers’ requests are simple and reasonable. Their real pay has dropped over the last few years as the cost of living has increased.
Workers who dedicate themselves to the University of Minnesota and provide essential support to its core educational mission deserve a wage that allows them to raise a family and plan for retirement.
I strongly encourage you to take the steps necessary to end this strike and make the University of Minnesota a place that respects all of its workers. I will continue to monitor this situation, and I look forward to your favorable reply.
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.
The participation of Brandon the clogger in the Atlanta auditions episode of So You Think You Can Dance? has clogging fans all excited. Will he appear in tonight's episode in which the 20 finalists will be announced? Does he have enough dance experience so that he can take his mad clogging skillz into ballroom, lyrical and hip-hop? He was featured in the audition, but didn't get shown in the Vegas bootcamp episode aired last night, in which 200 dancers were cut down to 50, so we'll have to wait until tonight's episode to see if he makes the cut.
I've seen clog dancing once at the Tapestry Folk Dance Center and it looked like great, energetic fun, but I didn't know much about it. A little Google research, and I learned that clogging has its roots in the Industrial Revolution; workers in the mills of Lancashire, England who wore wooden clogs at work, would dance with their clogs. Their competitive dancing was influenced by the influx of Irish workers who brought the tradition of Irish step dancing with them. Immigration brought clogging to the Americas, and in Appalachia, clogging has been a living tradition alongside traditional folk music, both influenced by African dancing and musical practices; Appalachian clogging, like tap dancing, uses an earthier, more grounded stance than the highly erect Irish step dancing. Clogging was featured in early vaudeville (Charlie Chaplin's first performances at age ten were as part of a clogging troupe called Eight Lancashire Lads), and in the US is now danced by precision troupes. People still do clog dancing as a kind of folk dance, or in the Appalachian style, but some kids are mixing it up with hip hop as this folk tradition mixes with popular culture. The "precision clogging" dance teams in this video show how hip hop and clogging meet:
UPDATE: Brandon was cut in the samba round of the auditions, but posted this funny message on clogdancing.com:
It has been an awesome experience. I've made tons of new friends and met some amazing dancers in all styles of dance! I feel like I'm a big star or something and its kinda freaking me out!
I walked into a restraunt tonight and the hostess said to me "You look so much like that guy that was on So You Think You Can Dance the other night!" and I said I am that guy! She then started screaming and slapping me on the arm with the menus she was about to hand me. It was really funny. As we were leaving she asked me to dance for some of the employees because they didn't belive I could dance.
I never imagined that I would get so much attention from 2 minutes of TV time. It's unreal how many messages and nice comments I've recieved on myspace. I also never knew how country my accent is until I heard myself on the show. It was horrible!
I hope everyone enjoyed my performance and continues to follow the show to see how it turns out!
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