{"id":112623,"date":"2022-08-24T11:22:13","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T15:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=112623"},"modified":"2022-08-24T11:22:50","modified_gmt":"2022-08-24T15:22:50","slug":"american-university-staffers-go-on-strike-as-school-year-starts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/american-university-staffers-go-on-strike-as-school-year-starts\/","title":{"rendered":"American University staffers go on strike as school year starts"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the Academic Affairs Staff Union picketed again on Tuesday, the second day of their planned weeklong protest against the university.<\/p>\n

Union members gathered at the Katzen Arts Center on campus and lined the walls with handmade signs and passed out pamphlets to passersby about their cause.<\/p>\n

The protestors also took to chalking the asphalt. \u201cHey AU, accept this challenge, a fair contract for staff,” one message stated. The chalking was a play on words as American University has a branding campaign<\/a> called \u201cchallenge accepted\u201d.<\/p>\n

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The union rejected offers of a four percent raise and increased contributions to health insurance premiums for some lower-paid workers, according to a letter<\/a> from university officials.<\/p>\n

Sam Sadow, a visual arts curator and union member, told The College Fix<\/em> on Tuesday that the union is \u201cstriking for fair pay, equitable pay structure and affordable health care for all AU staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the goal is \u201csettling a contract with the AU administration that enshrines those basic principles, fair pay, equitable pay structure and affordable health care.\u201d<\/p>\n

This week students are moving into dorms, but despite the staff shortages due to the strike, move-in seemed to be in full swing. The Fix<\/em> observed vans loading in student belongings and a planned freshman orientation seemed to be underway.<\/p>\n