CWA 1104 Rally

There was a fantastic turnout for the Stony Brook Research assistants who have been waiting for their first contract for almost a year. After some picketing around the GIANT inflatable corporate pig, everyone was able to listen to some of the RA's that are on the bargaining committee. They are the future scientists developing new cures and treatments for diseases yet SUNY Research Foundation pays them only 15,000 per year for 50 hours a week. As one RA also told the crowd she had to pay 1,500 in dentist’s bills for a root canal because her work insurance wouldn't cover it, that’s 10 percent of her gross yearly pay!

They wraped up the rally by marching to the buildings of the Research Foundation and SUNY headquarters to hand the corporate leadership a letter asking them to negotiate in good faith. No leader of either the Research Foundation or SUNY would come out to meet with the crowd. Assemblyman Tim Gordon however made a very supportive speech to the crowd in front of the SUNY headquarters.