Hunter
09/28/23
Dozens of University of Iowa graduate students and protesters entered the State Board of Regents meeting Wednesday, demanding an emergency wage increase.
The Daily Iowan reports Campaign to Organize Graduate Students President Hannah Zadeh said the group is protesting for a higher minimum wage, arguing for a 25 percent bump to keep up with inflation. The average graduate assistant’s minimum wage is a little over $21,300 for a nine-month period at a half-time rate. .
The current contract, which was bargained on July 31st, is good through June 2025. They asked for a 10 percent hike in wages and got only three percent.
COGS political activist Nicole Yeager said that many graduate students, and even un-tenured professors, rely on food banks to make ends meet, and the time spent doing research, clinical and course work makes it harder to afford the basics.
UI Assistant VP for External Relations Janene Beck told the DI that the university covers all or most of the graduate assistant’s tuition and health benefits with a minimum 10 hour work week.
Other protesters were being turned away at the door. The raucous protest forced the regents to end their meeting early.
