i was an undergraduate 8-hour TA at UC Berkeley for six semesters between 2015 and 2018. i was also part of the union. i'm surprised few of the comments are mentioning the main issue: union contract stipulates that 10-hour or more TAs receive tuition fee remission, but even 9.9-hour TAs receive zero remission. (there was at least one 9.9 hour TA, though not in the EECS department.) in 2015 when the 8-hour TA position was implemented there were initially not very many of them, and there were more 20-hour TAs, mostly graduate students. but between then and now Berkeley's CS program grew exponentially. so more and more 8-hour TAs were needed. what started as a clever hack was beginning harm other departments' workers by setting a precedent (ex, the 9.9 hour TA in chemistry). so the union fought and won.
Berkeley's undergraduate CS education is a unique self-sustaining juggernaut. there are not only TAs officially hired and paid by the department, but also numerous volunteers tutoring, lab assisting and otherwise helping each other out. it would be a tragedy if the bureaucracy destroys this beautiful self-sustaining machine through this decision. but i trust Berkeley will find a way as always to teach the most with the least resources.
Berkeley's undergraduate CS education is a unique self-sustaining juggernaut. there are not only TAs officially hired and paid by the department, but also numerous volunteers tutoring, lab assisting and otherwise helping each other out. it would be a tragedy if the bureaucracy destroys this beautiful self-sustaining machine through this decision. but i trust Berkeley will find a way as always to teach the most with the least resources.