"Those [Harvard teaching fellows who live inthe houses] feel it's a significant part of theirexperience, both educationally and financially,"Dingman said. "They receive free housing and mealsin exchange for their services."

Dingman said the College provides the roomspace and a meal pool for each house, which isused to finance the expenses of its non-studentresidents.

Liazos said he tried to live in one of Yale'sresidential colleges this year: "But it would havecost me money to do it."

Most teaching fellows, Dingman said, don't livein the houses and are fully responsible for theirroom and board costs.

Yale's teaching assistants are also required topay for their own health care expenses, Weinbaumsaid.

"A friend of mine is a single mother. She hasone five-year-old," Weinbaum said. "She has to pay$4,000 in health care. That's about as much as shemakes in one semester."

Harvard teaching fellows receive healthinsurance in the same way undergraduates do; butlike undergraduates, they still have to pay.

"Benefit policy is set University-wide," saidAssistant Dean for Undergraduate Education JeffreyWolcowitz. "Teaching fellows are graduate studentsand have health benefits in their role asstudents."

GESO organizers also claim that the budget of asuccessful three-year-old teacher training programhas been cut by a third.

"It's been gutted," Weinbaum said.

In addition, they say the grievance procedurethey were granted after a one day strike in thewinter of 1992 was rescinded.

"We don't have a grievance procedure that'sbinding. The dean's office gets to decide if acomplaint has merit," Liazos said. "That doesn'tseem impartial."

Several Yale administrators did not respond toinquiries this week about the GESO's claims. Allquestions were referred to Fryer.

GESO History

All humanities and social science graduatestudents are eligible for GESO membership.