Irvine

“I am a Graduate Student Researcher at UCI studying aspects of pre-mRNA splicing in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. I support the creation of a Student Researcher union because I think it is important that we get a seat at the table when decisions are being made that shape our futures and careers. All too often people that are not going through what we are going through decide what is best for us. I want all Student Researchers to feel empowered to fight for their needs and rights.” – Jessie Altieri

“I am a Graduate Student Researcher in the Department of Chemistry, working on the development of Density Functional Theory through application of various unsupervised machine learning techniques. It is crucial that Student Researchers are able to collectively bargain with the University of California – we as workers deserve a legally-binding contract that addresses our needs and defends our rights, such as the right to a workplace free of discrimination and prejudice.” – Johnny Kozlowski

“I am a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UCI. I develop electromagnetic theories for spectroscopy and microscopy systems in W. M. Keck Structured Light Microscopy and Nano-photonics. I joined SRU to build a working environment free from inequity for current and future student researchers.” – Mina Hanifeh

“I’m a Graduate Student Researcher in the Informatics Department studying clinical decision making. When I first arrived in my PhD program, I attempted to work through the university administration’s diversity programs to advance the needs of myself and my colleagues to have safe, stable, well-supported graduate careers, only to find myself frustrated. I increasingly became convinced that any effort funded by the university would ultimately uphold the university as it stands. Only an independent organization of Student Researchers, like a union, can place the appropriate pressures to effect real change.” – Mustafa Hussain

“I am a Graduate Student Researcher and TA in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department at UC Irvine and I support Student Researcher unionization. As a TA, I’ve seen how the union benefits student workers. I believe that Student Researchers also deserve guaranteed rights, including protections against harassment and discrimination, wage security, and wage transparency. Everyone deserves to work in a safe environment—whether that’s a lab on campus or in the field— and have harassment protections that go beyond the flawed Title IX system. This is necessary for all student workers to feel safe and to succeed.” – Lauren Lees

“As a physics PhD student studying Radiation Tolerant Materials, I know that experiments can take up a lot of time. Some experiments require more than 12 hours of constant attention. For some, it becomes difficult to reconcile this time with other obligations such as family and health. Forming a union will allow Student Researchers to negotiate for workload standards that work for us, and help both student researchers and PIs form a more healthy, balanced, and safe environment in the laboratory and other work places.” – Ernesto Barraza

“I am a Graduate Student Researcher in experimental Condensed Matter Physics. I believe that forming a union can give student researchers security and a more inclusive environment. Since learning how to do research is important to me, I support our efforts to form a union to create a well-balanced workplace.” – Amy Xiuting Wu

“My name is Cory Scott. I’m a 6th year PhD student in Computer Science. I study machine learning, both theory and applied- my current work focuses on automatic detection of plagiarized diagrams using graph metrics. I am in full support of a Student Researcher’s union. Weekends, minimum wage, the right to collectively bargain; these are all rights that were won by the blood and literal tears of labor forces that came before us. Student researchers should have a contract that guarantees them rights as workers. Unionizing Student Researchers is of vital importance to making academia more inclusive and fighting back against toxic workload expectations.” – Cory Scott

“I’m a Graduate Student Researcher in Earth System Science at UC Irvine. I believe that Student Researchers would benefit from a Student Researcher Union so that we can collectively bargain for issues that matter to us such as living wages for all Student Researchers, improved discrimination and harassment proceedings, and safe working conditions.” – Nicole Hemming-Schroeder

“I’m a fifth year graduate student in the Chemistry department building biosensing platforms for COVID-19 and bladder cancer. Student Researchers conduct research necessary to the function of the university, yet we can’t afford to live near the UC without extreme economic burden. The university calls us either students or workers when it financially benefits them, not us. The UC needs to show Student Researchers greater support during the pandemic. If we unite as a union, we can insure all SRs, regardless of discipline, are paid fairly for their work.” – Emily Sanders

“Completing graduate school is more of an emotional battle than a technical one. Emotional not just because of the uncertainty of research but also because Student Researchers face the brunt of favoritism, pressures of meritocracy, job insecurity, and lack of transparency in their academic work environments. A unionized voice of individual struggles is powerful in bringing about the change that we Student Researchers want. I am an international Graduate Student in the Computer Engineering program at UC Irvine, and I want us, student researchers, to form a union so that we have a voice.” – Rohit Zambre

“I am a Graduate Student Researcher in the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy. Student Researchers (and all workers) need a union for the same reasons Teaching Assistants, Readers, and Postdoctoral Fellows have a union — so that we have power and a voice in our working conditions. For a more equitable workplace.” – Youjin B. Kim