Graduate student-workers at the University of Michigan are still on strike after hitting the picket line for the second time in three years at the end of March. In the time between the Fall 2020 and Winter 2023 strikes, according to the union, the gap between graduate workers’ average pay and the cost of living in Ann Arbor has tripled. Facing a cost-of-living crisis and fighting for a slate of core demands—from a living wage and affordable childcare to better protections for international students, access to gender-affirming healthcare, and the creation of an unarmed, non-police emergency response unit on campus—graduate workers are not backing down. Meanwhile, University of Michigan President Santa Ono and the upper-level administration have continued with their attempts to break the strike through the courts and even had the cops called on striking graduates when they confronted Ono about UM’s handling of the strike. In this mini-cast, a follow-up to our March 31 report at the beginning of the strike, we are joined once again by Alejo Stark, a grad worker and rank-and-file member of GEO, to give listeners an update on where things currently stand and how you can help.
Disclaimer: Max is a former GEO member and earned his PhDs from the University of Michigan.
Additional links/info:
Post-Production: Jules Taylor
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** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
University of Xichigan…checks out…
Go Bucks!
Striking students. Laughable. WHo would notice? Or care?
34:54 'Having a dance party during office hours is disrespectful!' Y'know what else is disrespectful? Forcing employees to live in squalor while the top dog is a multi-millionaire.
They're out to privatize our universities.
If they would only treat workers like their own children, then they might understand love.
‼ï¸ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡²ðŸ’”💢‼ï¸ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡²ðŸ’”💢‼ï¸ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡²ðŸ’”💢
#161
#1312
How totalitarian is all of that😮 !!!
In most European countries, the "selection" in school starts pretty early. Around 4th – 6th grade, students then get put in different schools according to their level of performance. Depending on the country, there are two, three or up two five levels. In most countries, once your in one "level" you can't really change that at that time (in some countries you can work yourself up to a higher level or fail classes and drop down). After the first assessment of the students, you'll get put into your final "level". That's the level you're going to graduate from.
In most countries this takes about 9 years and is mandatory and homeschooling IS NO OPTION! So you will end up with some sort of "degree".
In certain countries, graduating on the top level means going to school about three years longer than the other kids who already graduated on a lower level. The kids with the "lower level degree" would be around 16 when they're finished with school. They then go on to learn jobs such as plumbing, customer service jobs, retail… as soon as they get accepted at a company, they'll then start their (usually) three years of training. At the end of that training, they'll then have a diploma in plumbing, hairdresser, etc… people in these countries obviously NEED to have an official diploma in cooking for example in order to be able to work as a Chef anywhere…
Only the kids that graduated from the highest level will then have a chance to apply for a spot at an University.
In some countries, these students have to qualify for a 2 – 4 year school, successfully finish that school and THEN they meet all requirements to apply for Universities. The Universities are then either totally for free or very affordable…
So, in Europe, you start competing at a very young age… the ongoing and never really ending selection throughout all of your time in school IS definitely challenging… BUT when it's time for kids to apply for Universities, they've already proven themselves and therefore get a more or less free education! 😊
The absence of grad student workers results in "irreparable harm," yet UM also states that these irreplaceable workers don't merit a living wage. Quite the paradox.
TRNN needs more viewers, & this needs more views, then the MSM might cover this, & people might demand better treatment of the workers!
I hadn’t heard about this strike from the mainstream news.
Docking pay is why unions need to have a “Strike Fund†set up before going on strike.
Sending in the cops on striking workers has become the elites modus operandi!
Kshama Sawant needs to visit Michigan.
Once leftists paid at least lip service to the concerns of ordinary people. Now they can barely hide their disdain. When they are not obsessed over bizarre sexual fetishes practiced by a chemical trace of the population they are defending the right of bums excuse me the homeless to defecate in public.
There has to be a National Lampoon movie in here.
New UMichigan president's base salary=$975k. They are also paying the $930k salary of his predecessor for 2 years after his Jan 22 firing. I guess money's tight, right?
Unsubbed because of your trans video earlier. It is a thing and was disgusting.
Workers and Oppressed Peoples of The World Unite !
The essential worker is condescended & lied to. Typical
This is the first time that I've heard about this strike. Thanks for the update.
Fight the good fight… your struggle of the day will be the strength of tomorrow…