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Striking grad workers celebrated an incredible week of victories with a bash – hosting a party outside the Ruthven administration building and occupying the building itself for much of the day. It was an incredible scene: students and workers transformed the usually sterile plaza next to the Central Campus Transit Centre into a summer carnival, with a grill, dancing, a kiddie pool, and a visit from an inflatable ‘fat cat’. Grads and allies marched from the Diag to the Ruthven, which contains the offices of the President and the Provost. These administrators, making $975,000 and $573,917 respectively, put our own ‘fat cat’ to shame.
Upon reaching Ruthven, a group of workers headed into the building, and chanted and danced for much of the afternoon. In a scene calling to mind the landmark 2011 Wisconsin teachers’ demonstrations where educators packed the statehouse rotunda, grads marched around the Ruthven mezzanine, demanding a living wage and dignity in our workplace. According to Pendle, a Masters student in SEAS, “Marching through Ruthven was an incredible feeling. Being there surrounded by friends and comrades and reclaiming the administrative building felt really empowering. We’re the ones who really run this university, and we needed to remind them of that.”
Greetings from Hot Labor Summer
Jess, Political Science
“This week, solidarity has been really strong. I feel connected to other grad students around the causes we’re fighting for. I think we’re determined to fight until the demands are met. I’ve been feeling that in a different way this – everyone is leveling up.”
Hannah, Nurse
“From watching the progress of the strike from the outside, I’m seeing the importance of the community building efforts, having these events, providing food for anyone who needs it, building relationships, and how much that energizes the strike efforts. As a community member I see how beneficial that is for the broader community in terms of building labor power and encouraging collective action.”
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