BU TAs Say No Union Needed

While teaching assistants at schools such as Columbia University and New York University are trying to unionize, Boston University teaching assistants said the treatment and compensation they receive does not warrant the formation of a union.

“I have no complaints. We receive credit for teaching; it actually counts as a two-credit class,” said Jon Zepierri, a teaching fellow in the Philosophy Department. “Maybe my biggest gripe with teaching here is the short period of time we have to grade finals, but this is pretty minor.”

Lisa Minter, a teaching assistant for Perspectives on Communications last semester, agreed the compensation provided by BU is adequate.

Although she said TAs at other college receive more benefits than those at BU, she said there aren’t legitimate reasons to unionize here at BU.

“I know TAs at smaller schools in the New England area who get their entire tuition compensated,” said Minter. “I was happy with what we were given in COM; however, if I were going to be a TA at a college for several semesters, I think it would be a good idea to have standard pay and maybe some benefits.”

The relationship between teaching assistants and BU faculty is strong, said Victoria Poor, the head TA for Perspectives on Communications this past fall. She said there isn’t a necessity for unionization at this point.

“The overall feeling among TAs is that they feel supported by their faculty,” Poor said. “I’ve heard some great stories from TAs about how their faculty supervisors really go to bat for them while they’re in school and even when they graduate.”

Jeff Schupak, a teaching fellow in the School of Management, said the overall support from faculty is excellent.

“I get treated very well and the students hold a level of respect toward me,” Schupak said. “The job is a job that requires you to be ready to answer the phone.”

Unionizing has both benefits and disadvantages for graduate students, Poor said.

“With unionization there’s a sense of security with respect to pay, promotion and job descriptions among the employees,” Poor said. “However, with unionization, I believe there is a feeling of autonomy, and personal control is sometimes lost in exchange for the possibility of higher wages, and maybe that is why there are no real efforts to unionize here at BU.”

While many BU TAs said they believe unionization is not needed at this point, Minter said it might be a plausible option for others.

“When you are [acting as a TA] you give up the opportunity to work at other jobs that might pay more or offer more benefits, so I think it would be helpful in some of those situations,” Minter said.