"That's absolutely ridiculous," he said. "Sincewhen does any student have a right to demand thecost of maintaining a family? The vast majority ofgraduate students get free tuition. They getstipends."

Weinbaum said the issue is larger than just payand benefits, however.

"It's not about asking for more money and anyof the specific issues," she said. "It's reallyjust a question of, should we have a democraticvote and the right to decide how we representourselves?"

And while GESO claims that 53 percent of classtime is led by TAs and not full faculty members,administrators say faculty members, administratorssay faculty are Yale's primary instructors.

"The faculty are the ones that are responsible,in the end, that classes are being taught,"Vallone said.

Vallone downplayed the possibility that thestrike will seriously affect the school'sfunctioning.

"We have expectations that many graduatestudents will realize their responsibilities andobligations and fulfill them," Vallone said.

No decision has been made on what action, ifany, the university will take against striking TAswho do not show up for their classes, Vallonesaid.

Labor strikes and job actions are notunprecedented at Yale.

In 1983, clerical workers formed the firstwhite-collar union in the Ivy League after goingon strike. The Harvard Union of Clerical andTechnical Workers (HUCTW) was formed shortlyafter.

GESO went on a three-day strike during thewinter of 1992, successfully pressuring theadministration to grant a 28-percent pay raise,form a teacher-training program and make someconcessions on grievance procedures.

But the TAs had to wait a semester for the payincrease, and the administration is nowconsidering cutting a third of the trainingprogram's budget.

Because of the setbacks, Weinbaum said, GESOdecided it had to be recognized as union to get "awritten and binding agreement" on pay and benefitissues.

Disagreement in GSAS

GESO does not have unanimous support among YaleGSAS students.