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There are lots of reasons to go on strike. The pension situation is garbage. Salaries have been cut. I am striking in solidarity with my colleagues affected by these things.
And I am striking because I haven& #39;t had the opportunity to be affected by these things.
And I am striking because I haven& #39;t had the opportunity to be affected by these things.
In the last 18 months I have had 4 different hourly paid contracts, three <6 month fractional contracts, and one full time teaching-only temporary position that sees me unemployed over and after next summer. Several of these have been simultaneous, and across different cities.
Meanwhile, I have been applying and interviewing everywhere possible and trying desperately to find time to work on my own research, only to be told at countless interviews that I don& #39;t have enough published pieces/experience for a permanent contract.
I haven& #39;t stopped working since before I submitted my PhD. I can& #39;t remember the last time I had more than one full day off, or the last time I wasn& #39;t worried about money. I& #39;m exhausted, frequently ill, and desperate for it not to affect my job performance.
I& #39;m trying so hard. Everybody is. I am supported, my friends and colleagues are great, and many have it even worse. I love this job, my students, and my field, and I& #39;m desperate to make it work, but we only have so much in us. And we are being exploited.
I& #39;m striking because I can& #39;t plan for my own future or obtain any kind of stability, financial or otherwise. I& #39;m striking because I can& #39;t see many other ways out aside from & #39;dumb luck& #39; and & #39;being a white dude& #39;. I& #39;m striking because I& #39;m drained.
Tonight I& #39;ll get a train to a city I don& #39;t live in to join the picket line at my institution, alongside some brilliant colleagues and (I hope) students. I don& #39;t know what else we can do other than show how desperate we are, and how much we care. #UCUStrikesBack
Placard is bigger than I realised, but has made it on a train and a bus safely. See you in the morning 
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