Temple University’s Graduate Student Association is taking a stand against unfair wages, dependent healthcare, inadequate leave, and more.
Who is TUGSA?
First things first, who is this group and what do they stand for? Why are they so important to the university? Temple University Graduate Student Association, otherwise known as “TUGSA” is currently on strike as a result of negotiations they have been making since January 2021. This student union was founded in 1997 and makes up of about 750 Teaching and Research Assistants (TAs and RAs). These students make the university what it is today, with TAs aiding professors in grading coursework and graduate students taking on the role of the professor in many classrooms.
What Are They Fighting For? Why?
TUGSA has been negotiating with Temple University over the last year, and has been working without a contract since February of 2022. They are fighting primarily for livable wages, dependent healthcare, longer and more reasonable parental leave, and better working conditions.
The current average pay for Temple’s graduate associates is $19,500 per year, while other universities, such as Penn, pay their graduate associates $38,000 a year. The proposed pay by TUGSA is $32,800 a year, which is what would be deemed as “livable” in Philadelphia. Many of these graduate students have families that they care for, yet adding dependents to their healthcare is costly, especially when they are not working with livable wages. For example, adding one dependent would cost about one-third of their total annual salary, and adding more would be even more expensive. As previously mentioned, some students may have families and choose to have children of their own to care for while in graduate school, however, Temple is only granting them 5 days of parental leave, even if they gave birth to the child. These students are looking to negotiate with the university, but have claimed to be turned down, leaving these grads with poor working conditions overall.
The Importance of the Strike
According to TUGSA, Temple University has been stubborn when it comes to compromising and negotiating with its graduate students. In the words of TUGSA, “administration continues to prioritize profit over education by offering minimal raises, no dependent care, inadequate leave policies, and poor working conditions.” As a result of these responses from Temple, TUGSA members voted back in November 2022 to authorize a strike against the university, with over 99% of members in favor. Since the end of January 2023, TUGSA has been on strike, protesting on campus Monday-Friday each week from 9 am-4 pm, making this the first strike in the union’s history.
A Meaningful Impact
TUGSA decided to take a stand against their university in order to achieve better circumstances for them, their colleagues, and their families. This has brought light to wage issues going on around the country. Furthermore, political figures have also acknowledged the problems that this student union is facing.
For example, Bernie Sanders tweeted “I stand in solidarity with Temple TUGSA grad student workers who are striking for fair pay and benefits. If Temple can afford to pay its football coach $2 million per year, it can afford to pay its grad student workers a living wage and decent benefits.” Following this statement, Senator John Fetterman and Governor Josh Shapiro also vouched their support towards the situation.
With all this being said, how are the students doing? How are the grads and undergrads at Temple University being impacted by this strike? Everyone has been so focused on the issue itself, but let’s turn our focus towards the way these students have been impacted severely each day since the strike has taken place. Many undergraduate students are without one or more classes right now, due to classes being taught by a graduate student currently on strike. Other students are missing grades on assignments because Teacher Assistants are not partaking in class. One undergrad states, “The strike has impacted me and my everyday routine because I have an English class taught by a grad student … Temple has failed to give us a substitute for 3 weeks which has made us fall behind on what we should be currently learning” (Jahela D., Freshman).
It is understandable that this strike would become an inconvenience for Temple, but it is their job to support students; to be for their students, rather than against them. For classes with missing professors, Temple has found substitute teachers, or “scabs” to replace these professors. However, these substitutes are making more money than the graduate professors; they are making approximately $23,000 to cover the class, compared to the graduate professor’s ~$19,500 annual wage.
(scab: typically known as someone who breaks strikes and crosses the picket line)
University Retaliations
Since the strike began, Temple University has been coming up with new ways to retaliate against strike participants. Some of these actions even include revoking their tuition remissions and removing their medical care.
Graduate students were sent out emails stating, “As a result to your participation in the TUGSA strike, your tuition remission has been removed for the spring semester,” and “It seems your coverage was terminated due to your decision to strike.” These emails circulated around quite fast and caught social media attention as well. Senator John Fetterman wrote, “Appalling that Temple would retaliate against TUGSA workers for pushing for better benefits and working conditions.”
Many of Temple’s students started to become very aware of these retaliations through social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. A few Temple students have stated things such as, “My thoughts on Temple’s retaliation is that they do not care and they will take away from students on a visa, students trying to get their degree, and students who just want to be successful,” (Chika O., Freshman), and “I find it appalling that they would force them to pay tuition with the money they don’t even have since the university won’t pay them.” (Bernice T., Freshman).
Despite Temple’s countless attempts to bring this strike to an end through unnecessary means, TUGSA members are still standing strong and participating in the strike through rain, wind, and excessive cold.
The Desirable Outcome
Ultimately, TUGSA is looking to achieve pay that allows them to live comfortably in the city they work in, healthcare that can also provide for their families, longer parental leave for graduate students who have children, and better working conditions. Like many students, this union wants members to succeed, thrive, and learn as best as possible. These stressful conditions that they are being placed under by the university are preventing them from furthering their education. From the looks of it, TUGSA will continue to strike until they receive what they have been owed; fair pay and reasonable benefits.