c/o wesGLU
Dear members of the Wesleyan Community,
On April 22nd, the graduate students at Wesleyan University delivered a letter to President Michael Roth’s office announcing the formation of our Wesleyan Graduate Labor Union (WesGLU) in partnership with the OPEIU Local 153. The OPEIU already represents a major portion of the campus workforce, including all Physical Plant workers, Clerical staff, and undergraduate RAs. A few days after the letter delivery, Wesleyan’s Human Resources representative responded by questioning the potential inclusion of the Graduate Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) in the Union. We were shocked to read this, yet not surprised. We are well aware of the techniques that can be employed to undermine a labor movement, and we want to make it clear that we won’t let this divide us. Still, we found it infuriating. Aren’t FLTAs graduate students? Why shouldn’t we be included in a Graduate Labor Union? By writing this letter, we hope to raise awareness about the precarious conditions that FLTAs are subjected to and argue for the necessity of a Graduate Labor Union that protects us.
Let us ask you a question: What is a Graduate Student? This may look like a silly question, but some people at Wesleyan seem to have a little bit of trouble figuring it out. A Graduate Student is a student who holds a Bachelor’s degree and either engages in academic research or has a Teaching Assistantship (or both). Although FLTAs do not currently engage in academic research (at least not in the U.S.), we do hold a BA and have a Teaching Assistantship. Besides, our Wesleyan-sponsored working visa categorizes us as graduate students, whose primary status at Wesleyan is as salaried employees. However, due to the lack of an administrative framework that properly outlines our rights and obligations as workers, and given that FLTAs are hosted by different Departments with different employment structures, we are effectively rendered invisible to Wesleyan’s eyes.
Last year’s Graduate FLTAs already wrote an open letter to the Wesleyan community in which they stated the several problems they faced throughout their time here. These problems not only have persisted but have also worsened. Since FLTAs only stay at Wesleyan for a single year, we are often treated as a dispensable labor force. Having to deal with excessive workloads that don’t respect our visa-mandated working hours limits, while trying to make ends meet with a reduced salary that barely covers our living expenses, and at the same time struggling to juggle our professional, personal, and social lives… it is simply not possible.
Although all of us agree that this past year has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and we will be forever grateful for this opportunity, that doesn’t excuse the fact that Wesleyan treats their FLTAs unfairly. The inequities that we have had to suffer could be easily avoided by implementing a clear and more standardized contract across all departments that host FLTAs to better promote equity. In our opinion, the way to achieve this is by engaging in negotiations with Wesleyan University (through the mediation of WesGLU) that would lead to the creation and enforcement of a new collective bargaining agreement for the FLTAs and the other graduate students. We need a unified policy that guarantees equal and fundamental rights for all FLTAs.
When a university doesn’t benefit from external organisms defending graduate students’ rights and enforcing their demands, their working conditions deteriorate. This has been the case for the FLTAs. That is the reason why the recent turns of events, added to the rather concerning letter we received, make us pessimistic about the well-being of the next generations of FLTAs. In order to secure a brighter future for Wesleyan, and the rights of our successors, we are determined to fight until the administration recognizes both the formation of WesGLU and our legal right to be part of it.
FLTAs serve as cultural ambassadors and act as the backbone of an excellent language program, which is one among many prides of Wesleyan University. As part of Wesleyan, this pride shines on you. But can Wesleyan be proud of the way it treats its FLTAs? You have your say in this. You can have an impact on our lives. That is why we are kindly asking you to show us your support, whether by signing the ongoing support petition or by speaking out publicly. Our work deserves to be acknowledged. We have a voice. We are not invisible. We belong here. We too are Wesleyan.
Marcos Alcázar Estrella – Spanish FLTA
Thomas Annebicque – French FLTA
Marcos Alcazar Estrella is a graduate student and can be reached at malcazarestr@wesleyan.edu.
Thomas Annebicque is a graduate student and tannebicque@wesleyan.edu.
1 Comment
Marcos Alcazar Estrella
UPDATE & CLARIFICATION: When the authors of this piece used the pronoun “WE”, it was intended to refer to both of them, not to the FLTAs as a whole. Both Marcos Alcazar and Thomas Annebicque spoke not as representatives of the Department of Romance Languages & Literature, but as FLTAs representing the Wesleyan Graduate Labor Union organizing committee. Thus, the opinions voiced in this piece should be read as merely personal views expressed by both of them. We are aware that some of the FLTAs do not share the same views as us, and that using the pronoun “WE” was misleading for some readers.
Moreover, regarding the sentence “Having to deal with excessive workloads that don’t respect our visa-mandated working hours limits…”, it must be said that, contrary to other Departments, the Department of Romance Languages & Literature has always kept the number of hours their FLTAs work between 9 and 12 hours per week.
We hope that this helps clarify the opinions voiced in this piece. Both Marcos and Thomas remain at your disposal to answer any questions you may have.