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Gallery: UCLA graduate students protest in support of a cost-of-living adjustment

By Niveda Tennety, Jintak Han, Tanmay Shankar

March 6, 2020 1:15 a.m.

Hundreds of students rallied at Janss steps Thursday in support of COLA, or the cost-of-living adjustment. The cost of living adjustment ensures that salaries are adjusted to keep up with changes in rent costs.

(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)

The UC-wide strike is part of the movement started by graduate students who withheld UC Santa Cruz’s fall quarter grades in protest of low teaching assistant wages and rent burden. Fifty-four TAs were fired from UCSC at the beginning of March as a result.

(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)

Associate professors of anthropology Erin Debenport (left) and Hannah Appel (right) stand with graduate students striking for higher wages. Many members of UCLA’s anthropology faculty have voiced support for the strikes, including professor Jason De León and assistant professor Salih Açiksöz.

(Jintak Han/Daily Bruin)

Students sit on Janss steps and listen to the speakers.

(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)

A woman takes a nap as the rally unfolds on Janss steps.

(Tanmay Shankar/Daily Bruin)

James Huynh, a PhD student in community health sciences said that graduate students in LA experience precarious living conditions. ‘’On top of worrying about finances, we have to worry about teaching our students, grading, doing our research’’ Huynh said. Huynh said that he has seen more grad students mobilize this year than in the past few years. ‘’As long as we continue to approach this issue in an intersectional way, thinking about different systems of power and oppression, then this can truly be like a huge moment.’’

(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)

Anthropology professor and Director of the UCLA American Indian Studies Center Shannon Speed addresses the crowd at the rally.

(Tanmay Shankar/Daily Bruin)

Rachel John, an undergraduate student at UCLA, said that she thinks that it is important for undergrads to come out to the rallies. ‘’They put a lot of work into helping us learn’’ John said. ‘’All we can do right now it to show support for what they’re trying to make a change for.’’

(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)

Students at the In Solidarity Protest against Hindutva march from Meyerhoff Park outside Kerckhoff Hall to Janss steps in support of the COLA strike.

(Tanmay Shankar/Daily Bruin)

Rally attendees hold signs on Janss steps.

(Jintak Han/Daily Bruin)

Strikers vote on how to continue the COLA movement at UCLA. Graduate students eventually agreed to start a wildcat strike, or a strike not sanctioned by a labor union, if 10 academic departments support the action.

(Jintak Han/Daily Bruin)

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Niveda Tennety
Jintak Han | Former senior staff photojournalist and news reporter
Jintak Han is a former senior staff photojournalist and news reporter who graduated in 2020. He served as an Assistant Photo editor from 2016 to 2017. Working at the Bruin through his entire undergraduate career since 2014, Han has won national recognition and numerous awards for his photojournalism. He is also known for his investigative reporting for the City & Crime beat. Han currently works as a freelance photojournalist and reporter for multiple news organizations.
Jintak Han is a former senior staff photojournalist and news reporter who graduated in 2020. He served as an Assistant Photo editor from 2016 to 2017. Working at the Bruin through his entire undergraduate career since 2014, Han has won national recognition and numerous awards for his photojournalism. He is also known for his investigative reporting for the City & Crime beat. Han currently works as a freelance photojournalist and reporter for multiple news organizations.
Tanmay Shankar | Senior staff photographer
Tanmay is a senior staff photographer and member of the editorial board. He was previously an assistant Photo editor covering the sports beat.
Tanmay is a senior staff photographer and member of the editorial board. He was previously an assistant Photo editor covering the sports beat.
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