<div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-c0b69fc1-7fff-99e8-5bd7-b66a0cbe1d15" style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Hi grad student physicists and astronomers! </span><br></font></p><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I'm Ming-Feng, a student researcher from the astronomy group. </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">On Feb. 3 (Thursday, 2 pm PST), we will have an important meeting in the Physics/Biophysics department.</span></font></p><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif">All Physics/Biophysics grads, postdocs, and Academic Researchers are invited to our meeting to discuss contract bargaining and housing demands. All academic unions at UC - TAs/Tutors/Readers, GSRs, Postdocs, and ARs - are now bargaining at the same time. That means we have the power to make MAJOR improvements to pay and working conditions.</font></span></p><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif">UC gave its Chancellors an average raise of 17.9% this year. It's time for UC to change its priorities - to focus on the academic workers that actually make the University run.</font></span></p><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif">One ambitious priority in bargaining will be to secure affordable, quality housing for all academic workers, and eliminate rent burden. Join the meeting to discuss this and other contract issues, and what we can do to win! We will also plan to turn out our department for the statewide housing action on Feb. 15.</font></span></p><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif">It’s essential that we have broad input and participation to win improvements in our department and across the UC – you can RSVP here:</font></span></p><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9mVYic1BRXpDQvaN7rhwsJjWvaVITog_K_MRSNs5uMXcU1g/viewform" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-skip:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif">[RSVP Link!]</font></span></a></p><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Solidarity,</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Ming-Feng Ho</font></span></p><font face="arial, sans-serif">Physics and Astronomy, UCR</font></span><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font><br></span></div></div>