Leonardo Pacciani-Mori @LeoPaccianiMori@qoto.org

I'm really happy to share that this year I'm helping the graduate division of oSTEM at UCSD to organize SQUAD, a series of online seminars that highlight the research and experiences of queer scientist! 🌈🧑‍🔬 By sharing these stories and journeys we hope to build community and showcase examples of how LGBTQ+ individuals persevere and thrive in their respective fields.
🎙️The inaugural talk of this year's cycle is next Monday Jan 29th at 4pm PT: "Tiny green algae and a rainbow community" by
Maria Hamilton, postdoc at the University of Georgia 🦠
If you want to attend you can find the zoom link and information on future talks on our website! http://gradostem.ucsd.edu/events/squad
There are also recordings of some of the past talks! #diversity #inclusion #academia #STEM 🌈🔬

Week 3 of #strike at #UCSD and across all #UC campuses, with still very strong participation. The #postdoc bargaining team has already received several serious proposals from the University that go in the right direction. Hopefully the same will happen soon for grad students!

"The outcome in California, experts say, could shape a new model for higher education across the country."
https://time.com/6237230/uc-strike-higher-education-implications/

When workers organize they have power ✊🏼
#fairUCnow

So, from this week 48k academic workers (like grad students and postdocs) across all the Univeristy of California system are on #strike, including here in San Diego.

The #union that represents us is trying to bargain a new contract after ~18 months of delays and procrastination from the University. We are fighting for (among many other things) fair wages that actually reflect the exhorbitant cost of living in California.

This is the largest #strike ever held at an academic institution in the history of the US, and the first *ever* for postdocs. It has already inspired people in many other institutions across the US to form new unions and to fight for fair working conditions.
I really hope this brings **some** change to the whole system. We **really** need it.

[NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/us/university-of-california-strike-pay.html)

[Another NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/15/us/uc-workers-strike.html)

[LA Times article](https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-11-09/la-ed-potential-strike-by-academic-workers-tarnishes-prestigious-university-system)

[Inside Higher Ed article](https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/11/15/48000-u-california-student-workers-researchers-strike)

More information [here](https://www.fairucnow.org/)
#FairUCNow

Video from the first day of strike at UCSD