Friday, September 14, 2007
University of Minnesota Profs
Dismiss "The Children"
"Students are our future," they tell us - over and over and over they bleat his platitude like a drum.
So, suddenly the Clerical, technical and health care workers at the U of MN enter their second week of being on strike for higher wages and the professors at the U of MN refuse to cross the picket line, holding classes off campus when U of MN policy says instructors are required to hold classes in their designated classrooms. The U of MN does little to enforce this policy, however.
Striking workers are getting support from many faculty and students who are also honoring the picket lines. Professor Paula Rabinowitz met 200 students in her English class in a church off campus. In a church? Hmmmm...something about that just doesn't seem right.
Paula Rabinowitz, Publicity Hound
Paula is quite the news and attention-seeker, or so it seems. From The Badger Herald:
Paula Rabinowitz, chair of the English department and professor at U of M, said she chose to hold class off campus at the University Baptist Church — the strike center for the local AFSCME — because she refuses to cross the picket line.
“As a faculty member I feel a responsibility to teach my class as part of the university,” Rabinowitz said. “But I will do it off campus because it tells the students I respect the picket line, and I refuse to cross it.” [She respects the picket line but doesn't respect the U of MN policy requiring her to hold classes on-campus, nor does she respect the taxpayers who pay her salary. What a peach she is, huh? - Drake]
Rabinowitz said the themes in her classes can be related to the strike, and she will teach her large lecture class tomorrow from the pulpit in the sanctuary like she did four years ago.
“The message is we are part of an institution, an institution works because workers work, and they are not exempt from the system,” Rabinowitz said. “[Students] are part of history, and they are part of producing changes and should experience this.”
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union, representing more than 3,500 employees on the U of M campus, walked off the job because they failed to receive salaries which kept up with inflation.
“The university has chosen to impoverish some of its workers,” said Barb Bezat, president of AFSCME Technical Local 3937 in a release.
[...]
According to a release by AFSCME, this summer members overwhelmingly voted to reject the university’s offer on their wages — a 2.25 percent increase for clerical and technical workers, and a 2.5 percent increase for health care workers — and planned to authorize a strike.
I wonder if this strike is good "for the children"? Remember this the next time a U of MN employee is at the State Capitol lobbying for more money - - - "for the students."
©2007
Alabama Internet
accordance and compliance with Fair Use Section 107 U.S. Copyright Code.
All other images and content © 2005-2009 David Drake.
Not responsible for content contained at linked sites.
Policy on commenting:
- Anonymous comments have little chance of being published.
- Comments made on posts 60 days old or older have little chance of being published.
- Published comments do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog author.
- Discretion of publishing or rejecting submitted comments rests solely with the owner and creator of this blog.
- Comments that egregiously "plug" (i.e. advertise or promote) another site or blog will be rejected. This doesn't mean you cannot include a link to your story, blog or to another site, but don't go overboard.
- Profanity is not a disqualifying factor, but profane rants solely for purposes of profanity are unlikely to be published.
- The owner and creator of this blog is not liable or responsible for the opinions of those who comment.
