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GASO is the non-organization for students who wish to hear the other side of the graduate student unionization issue. A minority contingent of graduate students is currently proposing unionization to solve problems that have been experienced by a few students. It won't take many questions to find that the whole thing is very poorly thought-out. Their pitch isn't logic or sense, it's populist appeal. The problem is, if there is a yes/no vote on unionization for graduate students, and only this small contingent turns out to vote yes -- you will be dragged into a union! What will this mean? Nobody knows! Every graduate-student-union zealot has a different answer. How could a union be trusted when there are as many agendas as there are people? GASO's Story Gaso was conceived of and developed in principle by a few individuals during Happy Hour one Friday who decided, in their inebriated state of reason, that they weren't crazy for taking opposition to unionization. They recalled that the intended freedom of this country was conceived of by people in a similar state of mind. They wondered if that validated their ideas. However the ideas were without form. On the Seventh Day, polysyllabic words returned with sobriety, and the ideas took form. And It was Good. They took it a step further and composed their ideas in HTML, the title page (www.yale.edu/gaso) of which was an attempt to put down the few common denominators that they hoped they would have in common with other graduate students. This initial effort, they hoped, would nucleate an ensemble of people to offer their own opinions and arguments against unionization of grad students at Yale. It was meant merely to provide, in the most apolitical way possible, the chance for anti-unionization voices to be heard, and a place for unsure people to read some opposing arguments. As it seems that it is only GESO which people hear to any appreciable (or more accurately, unappreciated) extent, they hoped the initial effort would grow and make anti-unionists know that unionization is not a forgone conclusion, and it is necessary, if nothing else, to make the effort to vote "no" if and when the time comes. The real trick was to accomplish all of this while wasting as little of people's time as possible. Gaso is not meant to be an alternative to GESO, opposing it issue-for-issue. In fact, with the exception of the obviously facetious name, gaso is not meant to categorically attack GESO, but to oppose only its purpose, manner, and effort of unionization. And we hope to confine the website to this singular purpose. In that gaso is a non-organization of individuals who each speak only for themselves, gaso cannot have leaders, and cannot issue statements, as there is no collective opinion to be had -- only individuals who agree with the single opinion that unionization is a bad idea. People who contibute to gaso, even if only by thanking it, are not voting anyone else to be their leader or spokesman. GASO's Principles Our time is not spent rinsing propaganda down the throats of fellow graduate students with coffee. Instead, our time spent teaching contributes to the education of ourselves and others. Our time spent on research sustains our advisors such that they may continue to secure funding for us and graduate students to come. Yale works because former students have done for us exactly what we are doing for future students. We don't take for granted the fantastic opportunity that has been extended to us to study at such a research powerhouse as Yale. We either made an informed decision about coming to Graduate School, or do not blame others for having made an ill-informed decision. We wish not to steal from the resources that could be available for tomorrow's students so that we may have more now. To do so would be just like accumulating credit card debt, only we wouldn't even be stealing from our own future. To tax the school now with myopic and selfish demands is to limit options for tomorrow. We believe that a solution to a problem that may arise is not a solution at all if even one person is forced into anything with which he or she disagrees. If we find ourselves potential victims of such an act, we cannot remain apathetic. We recognize that the diversity of departments, students, and faculty is a strength, and would never dream of homogenizing anything. We therefore will continue to work hard as we are already, and we resent anybody who attempts to get in our way.  This webpage does not represent you in any way. We apologize, but payment of dues is a violation of non-membership. A condition of non-membership is that you must think for yourself. Another condition is to not let other people tell you what your issues are, especially when these issues are handed-out pre-solved with an inadequate and half-baked solution. |