I think that striking during finals was a good strategy, although it probably did create some backlash among undergrads who were faced with the prospect of receiving no grades until the strike was settled. There have been several other short strikes and walk-outs during my time at Berkeley, but they all occurred in the middle of the semester and were therefore ineffective. Finals period is the one time when the impact of GSI strikes can really be felt.
>While I have a lot of skepticism of AGSE stopping its strike without any
>concrete win, the UAW folks would probably not have taken the Dem
>leadership's mediation too seriously without some threat backing it up.>
I think you're right. Perhaps the Dems have been emboldened by the upcoming change in administration and are leaning a bit harder on the UC officials behind the scenes. However, I still think the University is just hoping to quell the strike during finals so as to minimize disruption.
Speaking of finals, I'd better hit the books...