12:00: University of Rochester graduate students prepare to strike
1:00: Can new statewide recommendations cut child poverty by 50% in 10 years?
For years, there has been a debate about what kind of compensation is fair for graduate students who teach classes and perform other duties. Some schools have argued that the grad students are getting academic credit on their way to Ph.D.s and other credentials, and that should be considered a form of compensation. The schools argue that the academic credit precludes the need to pay these students the kinds of wages that other workers receive. But a growing group of graduate students at various campuses are organizing unions, demanding better pay and benefits. We meet University of Rochester students who are ready to strike over the issue. In studio:
- H.A., graduate worker and Ph.D. candidate in brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester
- Claire Becker, graduate worker and Ph.D. candidate in history at the University of Rochester
- Katie Gregory, graduate worker and Ph.D. candidate in earth and environmental sciences at the University of Rochester
Then in our second hour, according to data from the 2022 census, more than one in five New Yorkers under the age of 18 are living in poverty. New York State's child poverty rate is the fourth highest in the U.S. What would it take to change that? The Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council has been charged with creating a plan to cut child poverty by 50% in New York within 10 years. One of its members is Pete Nabozny of the Rochester-based nonprofit, The Children's Agenda. Late last year, the council issued a number of recommendations. From child tax credits to baby benefits to housing vouchers, our guests discuss a number of the recommendations and how Governor Kathy Hochul's budget may affect them. In studio:
- Barbara C. Guinn, commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and co-chair of the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council
- Pete Nabozny, policy director for The Children's Agenda and member of the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council
- Jason DeLooze, father and parent advocate
*Note: Connections is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
