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IT’S EDUCATIONAL
UMass’s labor center fights for itself
BY DAVID S. BERNSTEIN

Faculty at the Labor Center at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst often agitate for unions trying to fight the power. Now, they’re fighting for themselves. And the power in this case is the university.

One of the premier academic departments in the country for aspiring union activists, the Labor Center filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission (MLRC) late last week. It claims that UMass administrators have cut the center’s budget and canceled a search for a professor in retaliation for the center’s support of union activities on campus.

UMass has gained a national reputation for student agitation in recent years — even making a Mother Jones list of the 10 most activist campuses in 2002, the year the school’s resident assistants became the first in the country to unionize. Last year, the university faced a contentious contract struggle with its Graduate Employee Organization (GEO), before finalizing a deal in May. The GEO held a march on Chancellor John Lombardi’s office in March, a boycott of classes, and a speech by author Barbara Ehrenreich in its campaign for the new contract.

The Labor Center openly supports the GEO, saying on its own Web site that "the GEO provides an excellent opportunity for Labor Center students to develop skills and hands-on union experience." Students of the center have served as GEO officers, as well as staff and volunteers.

The Labor Center also provides training and other resources for the university’s Labor Council, a coalition of unions representing 7000 campus employees.

Campus progressives, with the support of folks at the Labor Center, have also held very public fights with the administration on issues from alleged racism in the Student Government Association to a university contract with Coca-Cola. Last year, students formed the progressive Take Back UMass (www.takebackumass.com).

University representatives are not commenting about the MLRC complaint. The Labor Center claims that the administration promised to provide funds for a fourth full-time professor, but reneged and canceled the search last month.


Issue Date: November 11 - 17, 2005
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