John E. Crawford files on Graduate Student Employees Union
Scope and Contents
Materials include newsletters, notes, correspondence, and clippings related to the Graduate Student Employees Union. A small amount of material concerns the UB Graduate Student Association.
Dates
- circa 1981-1995
Creator
- Crawford, John E. (Person)
Terms of Access and Use
The John E. Crawford files on Graduate Student Employees Union are open for research.
However, this collection has been minimally processed. Privacy protected information (including but not limited to certain educational, medical, financial, criminal, attorney-client, and/or personnel records) may be revealed during use of archival collections, particularly in collections that are unprocessed or have been minimally processed. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within the archival collections, and further agree not to publish, publicize, or disclose such information to any other party for any purpose if found within the archival collections.
Copyright
Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and University Archives before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.
Historical Note
*Historical note by Archives staff, circa 1980s:
The Graduate Student Employees Union (GSEU) was organized during the spring and summer of 1974, partially in response to cuts in the SUNY budget the previous year. Its purpose was to "promote the best interests of students and education at the State University of New York at Buffalo" (GSEU constitution, 1975). Among the issues addressed by GSEU were the quality of graduate education, affirmative action, salaries, and working conditions. In 1975, the organization attempted, unsuccessfully, to gain legal recognition as a union from the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB).
In March and April 1976, GSEU called and held a strike referendum. Important issues discussed at that time included union recognition, salaries, reduction in the number of teaching assistantships, and affirmative action. Although the majority of those voting favored a strike, the predetermined number of 325 yes votes was not achieved and no strike was called. A second strike referendum held in Spring 1977 failed by one vote.
The following is from the current GSEU website:
"The Graduate Student Employees Union represents all Teaching and Graduate Assistants enrolled in SUNY, the largest state university system in the nation. We are run by and for graduate students, and we constantly work to improve our collective research and our living and working conditions. We work to maintain and extend our benefits, wages, and rights. We recognize that graduate student teaching and research lie at the heart of a great public university, and we believe that as our conditions improve, so, too, will the strength of SUNY."
Source: https://cwa1104gseu.com/content/our-union-join
Extent
.4 Linear Feet (1 manuscript box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Records pertaining to the Graduate Student Employees Union; a small portion of records pertains to the UB Graduate Student Association.
Arrangement
Chronological.
Acquisition Information
The John E. Crawford files on Graduate Student Employees Union, circa 1981-1995 were gifted to University Archives by John E. Crawford on May 16, 2018.
Accruals and Additions
No further accruals are expected.
Processing Information
Minimally processed by Amy Vilz, June 2018; finding aid encoded by Amy Vilz, June 2018.
- Collective labor agreements -- Government employees -- New York (State)
- College students -- New York (State) -- Buffalo -- Political activity
- College students -- United States -- Political activity -- History -- 20th century
- Graduate Student Employees Union
- Student unions -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Universities and colleges -- Graduate work
Source
- University Archives (Repository, Organization)
- Title
- Finding Aid for the John E. Crawford files on Graduate Student Employees Union
- Status
- Minimally Processed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Amy Vilz.
- Date
- 21 June 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the University Archives Repository
420 Capen Hall
Buffalo New York 14260-1674 US
716-645-2916
716-645-3714 (Fax)
lib-archives@buffalo.edu