."It has definitely angered and energized a lot of people." Since the graduate benefits were cut off, Ford said, more people have joined the strike.
Graduate students took to the picket lines on Jan. 31, after over a year of stalled negotiations between Temple and the graduate student union. The union is accusing the school of paying wages that fail to cover Philadelphia's cost of living. TUGSA has not responded to NPR's emails and direct messages.
Temple said in a statement on Thursday that students were warned that taking part in the strike and not showing up to work would cause them to lose their full compensation package, which includes tuition assistance and free health care insurance. Pennsylvania law prohibits workers who refuse to work from receiving compensation and work-related benefits, the university said.
More than 80% of union-affiliated graduate students continue to work and receive full pay, health benefits and tuition remission, Temple said.The union, which represents about 750 TAs and RAs, is proposing an annual base wage of $32,800, up from the current $19,500 average salary graduate students receive. Temple's proposal raises the base salary for graduate employees to $22,500 by 2026, according to TUGSA.
Union members are also calling for expanded parental leave, beyond the current five days allotted, as well as affordable family health care, which they say can cost up to 86% of their salaries."Returning to work does not mean individuals cannot picket or voice their concerns," university Communications Director Stephen Orbanek said in a statement to NPR."It just means they must work to earn compensation and benefits, like anyone else.
Tom Cotton is right: university endowments should be taxed to pay for apprenticeships. Temple is rich. It should be able to pay its people correctly and pay more taxes as well.
I mean, part of striking means you take the risk that happens.
Yes!!
Class war is alive and well.
so basically they kicked them out of school. May their, Temple's, endowment suffer
This never happened when Bill Cosby was on the board.
The left loves speaking power to truth
it’s a Temple after all, no surprise.
If you go on strike all pay and benefits stop. Striking is the same as quitting. The employer can hire other people or just leave the positions vacant.
sounds like another law suit to me , illegal
Bureaucrats picketing for more government grift from the taxpayer, or more appropriately, the loan guy.
Good for Temple U!!!
I love how some of them are wearing masks outside. sCIENCe!
Temple university violates labor law. Shorter headline
Strikers: we don't have enough money to survive, despite being a huge cash cow for your school Temple University: okay, now you have to pay us even more money. Also, no more health insurance for you. Better hope you stay healthy while you're enrolled here!
Yikes
That’s why healthcare should not be connected to your job. We need universal healthcare so that private insurance companies can’t rob you blind.
Doesn't speak very highly of the university's position here, if they have to punish people to try and get them back to work rather than meeting their reasonable demands
But not other grad students? I wonder what the NLRB has to say about that.
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