In a recent survey, 71% of chemistry grad students reported being financially burdened. And it's no wonder: in Madison the median rent for a 1 bedroom apartment is $1,400/mo. To afford that without being rent burdened (paying more than 30% of your income) you need to make $50,000/yr. In comparison the UW is promising a 7% raise for Chemistry graduate assistants, bringing their stipends to $31,240/yr and most UW grad students make less.
In Madison, that is not enough to live on. It's a slap in the face when compared to the $6.4B endowment the UW system is sitting on. $435M was added to their coffers in 2022. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are responsible for the UW's massive revenue stream—it's time we fight for wages that reflect it.
Grad students and postdocs are leading in labor struggle right now with a wave of union drives and strikes. This is because universities like the UW are run like businesses—for the benefit of big business—and off the backs of its students and workers. Inflation is squeezing us from all sides. Rent, utilities, and groceries are going up and the bosses seek to offload their costs by keeping wages down. In 2023-24, UW Madison is increasing tuition for all students. This includes backdoor tuition like segregated and international fees. Meanwhile, they are sitting on billions, like the $500M managed by BlackRock. Instead of giving their workers a living wage, they invest into real estate, the stock market and new startups.
But workers are striking back. In UC California 48,000 academic workers went on strike demanding a 100% pay increase. And Temple University grad students (TUGSA) waged a militant 6 week strike that won 40% wage increases, and now University of Michigan grads are on strike (and solidarity!)!
Grad students and postdocs in all departments at the UW are underpaid and overworked. We are sick of hearing about how "funding isn't there." It's time to organize across campus and put pressure on the administration to pay us what we deserve.
RSVP below to join academic workers and Workers Strike Back supporters to discuss how we can organize and win these demands and more:
1. We need a REAL raise—$50,000 /yr for all graduate assistants!
2. Cancel seg fees, international fees & all backdoor tuition!
3. Fight to end workplace mistreatment!