“Studiers… come out and plaaaaaaayyyy!”

Just wanted to say I appreciate both the pun and the sentiment.

a grad student and post doc strike would be devestating. If they're unionized, then they have protection from retaliation through the NLRB

That really depends on your field and what kind of job you're looking for.

If you're a new PhD from a STEM field and go work in industry, consulting, or finance that can be true. But if you're a new PhD who wants to become a professor in the field you dedicated your blood, sweat, and years of your life to (no tears included because you've run out by your 3rd or 4th year), it's almost 100% guaranteed you will not see anything close to a 6 figure paycheck for several more years.

Probably the rats in Fells that eat chicken wings and pizza crusts.

In all seriousness, probably deer

overworked, underpaid, and abused post docs have entered the chat

Where are these 6 figure jobs you’re promising?

I was hunting for this same link! Good find

If by "free," you mean many PhD programs will waive tuition for grad students, then yes. You might also be forgiven for thinking that you actually make money as a grad student because you're getting a small stipend (depending on the program anywhere from ~20k-33k to start).

That being said, they get far more value than that back from you and then a pound of flesh for good measure. You're only taking classes for 1.5 to 2 years, and then the rest of the time you're doing research for your advisor, teaching courses for them, or doing their grading for them. Don't get me wrong, you get a lot back in return in terms of knowledge, experience, and the degree. There are many great mentors who don't abuse the system and do their best to graduate you in a timely manner, but even in those best case you're still on subsistence wages and some programs explicitly forbid outside employment or income.

Oh they're doing just fine haha.

During the pandemic they suspended all pay raises and stopped their 401K match because they were "losing money" due to a drop in elective surgeries and a drop in room and board fees. After faculty paid for an independent audit, it turned out they actually made a considerable amount of money over that period of time.

If you look at the composition of its board of trustees, it's almost entirely MBAs and business leaders, some of whom have a personal financial stake in where and how the university invests its money. Maybe this explains why the university seems to operates more like a holding company trying to extract profits from a historic brand than a university dedicated to maintaining a healthy and productive research and learning environment.

Seriously. It is a great place to be from, but the rampant institutional gaslighting and abuse make it a hard place to thrive while you're there. If you can survive the toxic environment there, you can definitely thrive in the more functional real world.

Providing increased wages is absolutely critical, but the protections from abuse and real mechanisms for enforcement are just as important.

More than a few seconds, and the thieves are looking for convenience and speed. There are lots of with cats they could take. If they look under a car and see a shield, they’re going to find another car that’s easier to remove and doesn’t leave them in a vulnerable position doing something loud and obviously illegal for any longer than they have to. If someone was really committed to getting your exact cat they will get it shield or not, but most thieves are risk averse and would rather just try a different car