So I just witnessed my Uber driver be carjacked at gunpoint as I scrambled to get to safety in my overpriced slum apartment but stop the press! The men in womanface need a photoshoot!

I’m just saying your hysterics about our pay is misguided. I mean it’s pretty weird to keep insisting I am unable to survive on my pay when I am doing just fine. Like you tell me it’s impossible, while I sit here in my apartment with my pets and fully stocked fridge with groceries I paid full price for lol

I don’t live in a shitty neighborhood. In fact, I live in my favorite neighborhood in the city.

Just because you couldn’t fathom living on 30k doesn’t mean there aren’t more frugal and minimal people doing just fine. Stop insisting I’m literally not surviving lol stop the dramatics dude

Lol do you know how many people live on less than 30k in this city? I’ve lived in Philly for years and have never made more than 30k. It’s completely possible to live on 30k in Philly. You clearly have never been on benefits if you think 30k/year is “just enough” to not qualify for benefits. You have literally no idea what you’re talking about.

Tell me you’re upper middle class without telling me you’re upper middle class lol

I definitely understand that different life circumstances and departmental requirements play a role in the decision to strike. My department is extremely laid back and I am the only TA I know in this department who actually works 20 hours/week. I had a different assignment last semester and I know I wasn’t putting in the full 20.

I don’t think the strikers are lazy at all. Sometimes I question how many are caught up in the hoobaloo and maybe aren’t considering how much this has the potential to destroy their academic career. Academia is really all about who you know and I hope striking does not lead to negative reputations/outcomes for students but the possibility is definitely there.

There is not a universe in which it would even be possible for me to strike. I support myself financially 100% and I am a cancer survivor that takes medication to live so I could literally die without healthcare. This implication that anyone who isn’t striking is “in the way” is incorrect and sort of what I’m standing up against. It is perfectly logical for some TAs to do the risk benefit analysis and choose not to strike and it doesn’t make them bad or immoral people.

I’m not pulling “poverty Olympics.” Just pointing out that I’ve actually had to survive on poverty wages and this ain’t it.

I’m not on board, but I’m not in your way. I hope your strike is successful and you receive the higher pay you are demanding. My experience has been different and I am acting according to my experience.

I have a semester based contract that pays >$10k/semester in wages before taxes. My tuition remission is ~$10k/semester. I do not know what the value of the full year of healthcare would be so I didn’t include it. I have 2 semester long contracts throughout the year so the total comp not including healthcare is ~$40k.

I never said I make “just enough” to not qualify. In fact, I said my income was “far too high.” My case worker told me I didn’t qualify by a large amount because my hourly pay is so high.

Why do you insist on misconstruing my words? Why can’t you fathom someone living perfectly fine on $31/hour? It’s not that ridiculous…

You were the one who even associated TA pay with the poverty line or public benefits. Our compensation is no where near that. That’s all I’m saying. I never claimed we make a ton of money or that striking TAs don’t have legit claims to higher pay. But the hysterics surrounding our pay is actually crazy considering our very high hourly rate.

This is what I keep trying to tell people. I support the striking TAs who they feel they are unjustly compensated. The COL has increased significantly and other schools do provide better wages. I personally am not at all unsatisfied with my earnings or working conditions so I’m not striking. I just dislike the misrepresentation that we are below poverty level.

I absolutely do not qualify for public assistance.

Edit: I know because I was kicked off public assistance when I got my TA position because my hourly and monthly income is far too high to qualify.

I don’t give a fuck about the system. I need a job, free healthcare, and my tuition paid for.

The full TA compensation package including benefits is >$40k for 8 months of work at part time. Even though we are technically only employed by the university for 8 months, our entirely free health coverage covers the full year.

This is nowhere near what living in poverty is like because I’ve been there.

It’s not meant to be $20k/year. It’s >$20k/8 months at 20 hrs/week. The logic is that during summer you are to acquire an RA position, internship, or job because your TA position has ended. The salary is absolutely not calculated on a per year basis.

I can assure you people will take this as fact. The reality is even to claim we are paid minimum wage or $10-$15/hour is ridiculous.

Including my tuition remission my hourly compensation is $62.50. This is not even calculating my year of free healthcare despite not being employed by the university for 4 months of the year.

It’s literally cringe to act like we get paid below minimum wage.

Edit: this is coming from someone who has actually lived through poverty and working for minimum wage in Philly.

I didn’t ask if you calculated my specific salary. I asked how you calculated $4/hour because that is an absurdly low amount to claim Temple Employee’s make.

Like all TAs, I am contractually obligated to work 20 hrs/week. That is how I calculated my hourly rate. I make over 10k/semester. There are 16 weeks/semester. I work 20 hours/week. Point is that there is literally no TA at Temple working for $4/hour.

$4/hour? How did you calculate this? I am a TA and not even including tuition remission and benefits my per hourly rate is over $31 and I’m rounding down the calculations.

Obviously taxes are taken out but still…ya’ll really think we are out here working for $4/hr?!? Lol

Some of the misinformation that has been spread about TA wages is wild.

P.s. you could work more than 150 hours per week as a TA and still make more than $4/hour.

Edit: so the poster who spewed actual nonsense about TA pay is being upvoted but a literal Temple TA states facts about their salary and are downvoted. Clown world.