Faculty Pledge of Solidarity with TUGSA

TUGSA has been negotiating with Temple since January for fair pay, dependent and family health coverage, timely work assignments, remittance of student and international fees, and longer parental and bereavement leave. Since September, Temple has made it clear that none of our demands will be entertained at the table except small wage increases. In response, TUGSA members voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. 

Faculty hold a position of respect and power in the lives of graduate employees. To that end, we are asking faculty to be public in their support for TAs and RAs in our fight for a better Temple. This will show graduate employees that the faculty we work with and look up to are on our side. 

If you have further questions, please see our Strike FAQ page or feel free to contact us at union@tugsa.org using your non-Temple email address.

Pledge

As a faculty member of Temple University, I acknowledge the crucial role that graduate employees play in fulfilling Temple’s academic mission. I furthermore recognize the right of workers to associate collectively and, through their association, choose to strike. In this spirit, I publicly affirm that a graduate employee’s participation in the strike will not affect my evaluation of their labor or their academic work, nor will it affect advising, mentoring, or letters of recommendation.

Additionally, I publicly affirm that I will not proactively cooperate with Temple administration in their attempts to surveil, interfere with, or break the strike.