U-M graduate student instructors hit the pickets today

University of Michigan graduate student instructors took to the picket lines this morning, unable to reach a contract resolution with the University.

Grad students want a NINE percent raise in the first year of the contract while U-M has countered with a 3 percent offer. Grad students also want summer stipends for when school is out.

This is part of a two day walkout on the U-M campus and grad student teachers are vowing not to teach their classes.

OK, first off, student teachers, NINE percent in the first year? Do you live in the borough of Oz? Hell we'd ALL love a 9% raise. Ridiculous, try again. Wait, AND you want to be paid while there is no school in session? Don't people denigrate the jobs bank program for the UAW for this reason? You want guaranteed money for not teaching? Maybe you should sit in on an economics class if you think that's how the world should work. You already get full medical and dental and over 15K a year plus a full tuition waiver.

As for U-M, stop being so goddamned chintzy. You're sitting on a 7 billion dollar endowment and the only time you want to spend money is on the football stadium or building new buildings. Maybe you've heard PEOPLE make up a university, not a stadium. You cannot educate a building. A football stadium will not read your doctoral thesis.

A pox on both their houses this morning.