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On Day 15 of our strike, the energy and enthusiasm of grad workers shows no signs of letting up. Pickets once again marched and chanted across central campus and Thursday marked the strike’s first trans rage picket. Trans and queer workers came together to, in the words of one grad, “scream at the universe, to show the university we mean business, and make trans community.” Grads marched and rollerbladed in front of Angell hall, waving flags and chanting “fuck you system, fuck your hate, we are not up for debate” and “we’re here, we’re queer, we’re fabulous don’t fuck with us.”
Grads also felt some love from the nurses (organized in UMPNC) who painted “the rock” at Hill and Washtenaw GEO purple in support of our strike. Their solidarity comes a day after grads heard a solidarity greeting from grads at Rutgers, who also went on strike this week. 9,000 grads, faculty, postdocs, and more are currently on strike at Rutgers, adding to the Grad Strike Wave sweeping the country.
Dispatches From the Pickets
Yeagar, Classical Studies
“One of the big things in the contract is the compensation. What HR has offered doesn’t keep up with inflation and makes people on Dearborne and Flint campuses eligible for SNAP benefits. But we have to go beyond compensation. Not all problems can be solved with more money. That’s why it is so important to remove barriers to access to trans healthcare. Trans grads shouldn’t have to wait a full year to access services or go out of network for certain things. Right now, there is an overwhelming backlog at the comprehensive gender services program. There is one speech language pathologist, and a real lack of trans affirming primary care physicians. The University says they’re committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, but they’re just not. Yesterday, they wouldn’t even define equity at the bargaining table. We’ve put years of research into these proposals, but the university is not willing to accept that there is a problem, let alone work with us to solve it.”
Hot Labor Summer: Fun in the Sun on Friday
Undergrads and fellow grads, join graduate workers today at 12pm on the Diag to ring in Hot Labor Summer with a Strike Party and Teach-In! There will be tamales, BBQ, music and more. Go to to shape the teach in. Continue to sign up for picket shifts at
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