#faircontractnow

[jurassicsunsets]

#WeSeeUIC

This isn’t the kind of thing that I typically post about about, but it is an issue that’s especially important to me. 

Graduate students do the majority of work, both in teaching and research, at American universities. Despite this, graduate teaching assistants and workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago are paid less than living wages, as well as having to pay over 10% of their income in fees each year. In addition, grad workers have no power or insight into appointments and re-appointments of grad workers. 

Negotiations have been attempted and denied; as of today (19 March 2019) over 1500 graduate workers are beginning a strike to improve working and living conditions. They need our help for the strike to be a success.

How can we help?

First and foremost, strikes are not easy. Students are putting their livelihoods on the line - not working means not getting money, and for the strike to continue, strikers need to be able to support themselves. In order to make this possible, the union has set up a strike fund to pay for the students’ time. If we all come together to support them, they can stick it out long enough to make real change.

Secondly, share this story! Share the strike fund. Share this news article about the situation so others know what’s going on. Share the students’ outreach document so others are aware of the students’ situation and demands. Share this post. And use the hashtags #WeNeedGEO, #WeSeeUIC, #FairContractNow, and #uicUnionPower. Make enough noise that the university can’t ignore this.

Send a message to UIC that students and the greater community of workers are willing to stand together to improve working and living conditions. Stand in solidarity with UIC grad students to show that we are stronger together!

Donate to the strike fund here!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

I know I said I wasn’t going to post a lot about this on my more public accounts but the grad student strike at my school has gone on an entire week and the administration has basically not made any concessions at all and they tried to claim that tuition waivers are part of the salary (spoiler alert: I can’t pay rent or buy food with my tuition waiver so no, they are not, part, of, the, salary) and I’m just tired after a week of this so instead of a dinosaur today y’all are getting the collective salt of the uicstrikememes instagram 

for a more informative post see what my friend posted back when I thought this would take three days and my radio silence wouldn’t be noticeable 

donate to me if you want to support your favorite starving grad student I guess but I’d rather you donate to the strike fund instead tbh bc I’m not as bad off as some of my comrades and some of it would come around to me anyway

Don’t go to grad school you guys. It’s not worth it. It kills your mental health and then sucks up your money for no respect, no joy, and no satisfaction 

sorry this is just a nihilistic kind of day enjoy the memes

[intrainingdoc]

In Solidarity: Response to the University of Washington Resident Physician Strike

Last week, the resident physicians and fellows of the University of Washington collectively decided to walk off the job for a 15-minute unity break in protest of unacceptable working conditions and stalled contract negotiations.

#6 of the in-House #Top12of2019:

"Our field is rotten to the core."

Resident physician Michael McClurkin, MD, MPP shares his thoughts on the University of Washington Housestaff Association walk-out.

https://in-housestaff.org/response-to-uw-resident-strike-1560

[intrainingdoc]

The Epidemic We Don’t Talk About: Response to the University of Washington Resident Physician Strike

On September 25, the resident physicians and fellows at the University of Washington (UW) participated in a “strike.” It lasted only 15 minutes, because above all else, they are physicians putting patient care first. So, why are they striking?

#2 of the in-House #Top12of2019:

Physician Parivash Sanders, DO, responds to the University of Washington Housestaff Association strike:

"In your Review of Systems, type 'ROS not performed' — it means #billing cannot be done. Because a corporation that cannot bill for your work has to do something."

https://in-housestaff.org/the-epidemic-we-dont-talk-about-response-to-the-university-of-washington-resident-physician-strike-1572

[intrainingdoc]

Why We Walked Out: A Call for Courage and Action from the University of Washington Housestaff Association

On September 25, we participated in a 15-minute unity break (effectively a walk-out) with over 450 residents and fellows at the University of Washington in protest of UW’s dismal contract proposals during our negotiations. It was led by the University of Washington Housestaff Association (UWHA), one of the few unions of resident doctors in the United States.

#10 of the in-House #Top12of2019:

"You do not have to wait until circumstances become untenable, as they have at UW."

An official statement by the residents of the University of Washington Housestaff Association published on in-House.

https://in-housestaff.org/why-we-walked-out-university-of-washington-housestaff-association-1581

[intrainingdoc]

When Negotiations Fail: An Exclusive Interview with UWHA Lead Negotiator Dr. Kisha Clune

We are fighting for UW to come up to the national standard in their treatment of residents; we’re not asking for the impossible. Residents deserve to work in humane and livable conditions.

Exclusive interview with University of Washington Housestaff Association Lead Negotiator Kisha Clune, MD, published on in-House, the online peer-reviewed publication for residents & fellows.

https://in-housestaff.org/when-negotiations-fail-an-exclusive-interview-with-uwha-lead-negotiator-dr-kisha-clune-1583

[cupestrike2018-blog]

Protesters disrupt speech by Kathleen Wynne to voice outrage at seven-week #YorkU strike.

[the-battleflag]

Just found out my own alma mater is encouraging undergrads to call the police on striking Grads exercising our right to strike for a #FairContractNow . Looking forward to getting back out on the picket lines tomorrow, spoons be damned. You look worse every day, @illinois1867 , bargain with @geo_uiuc and give us what you owe us! (at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)