New York University's graduate teaching assistants are expected to go on strike today. At issue is NYU refusal to recognize the teaching assistants as a union and negotiate with them.

From 2000 until August of this year, about 1,000 teaching and research assistants were represented by Local 2110 of the United Automobile Workers. But when their contract expired on August 31st, NYU said it would no longer recognize a graduate student union.

The university's decision followed a policy reversal by the National Labor Relations Board in Washington on private universities allowing graduate student workers to unionize. Michael Palm of the Graduate Students Organizing Committee said the union members will strike.

Several professors said that in solidarity with the strikers they will hold classes off campus. Historian Molly Nolan said her classes will meet in a billiard parlor.