UCSC reinstated 41 grad students that it fired during collective bargaining for a cost of living adjustment. The "this is what happens" email they sent out to announce the reinstatement was disappointing, but at least these folks have their healthcare back https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xg8mdn/uc-santa-cruz-reinstates-41-graduate-students-after-months-long-strike?fbclid=IwAR1IG0AVhpwJVj0IBsGQHhwOC8OIo6j1vP_m4v5a_MMnJzbT80xoCHbQ2cg

To clarify, this brings us back to where we were in January. There has not been any movement on poverty-level wages. The pandemic has made everything more complicated, and it certainly has not decreased the burden that students are facing.

UCSC claims they have been paying healthcare costs for students who were fired, but I find that really suspect. In my experience, if you are not working as a TA or GSR, you must pay tuition and healthcare out of pocket. But I am not one of the affected on this, so I defer to them

Additionally UCSC's "you have to pay us thousands of dollars for healthcare unless you explicitly opt out every quarter, even on leave of absence" policies do not feel legal and certainly are not good-faith policies, but that's another story/battle for eager class-action attnys

UCSC has some of the brightest minds across several fields. It's frustrating that the university doesn't seem to value that. I supposed it's pushed some of us to bridge the industry/academe gap pretty effectively, but that comes at a high cost to those of us who take that on

Anyway, you should follow and support other UCSC folks/alums doing awesome things. Some of the most influential to me (faculty):
@noahwf @mmateas @hunicke @sorayamurray @MichaelMJJohn @TheJimWhitehead

UCSC peers who influenced me (who you should follow)
@GalaxyKate @aaronareed @logodaedalus @pmawhorter @SystemSleuth @TheSquink @bnspalding @StellaMazeika @jag_pag @manyweare @meldckn @maxkreminski @karaastone @AprilGrows @xfoml @Autumnsburg @JoeOsborn @ThisIsBenSamuel @deftjams