At last, the radical university strike mentioned in a previous blog in California has come to an end.
A month-long strike conducted by the postdoctoral and academic workers left undergraduate students across the state scrambling through the end of the semester and into finals.
These strikers have now graciously deigned to resume work, with the promise of up to a 23% pay increase for the postdoctoral workers over the next year as well as extended paid family leave.
There is still ongoing mediation for terms with the graduate students.
Mayor Derrell Steinberg of Sacramento, who will lead these mediation efforts said he hopes to ensure that the fruits of the university that “drive the state’s economy” are fairly distributed.
To which one comment from the Epoch Times responded, “Splendid! They all might learn economics as the paying student population bails.”
A loss for self-governance, but what did we expect?
The chicks have come home to roost.
A university system that trains young socialists cannot complain when these socialists become employees. The system has intentionally crafted the very monster that had it in a headlock this last month.
A poll from Gallup shows that among millennials and Gen Zers, Americans aged 18-39 in 2019, socialism and capitalism were equally popular.
While these statistics are bleak, not all hope is lost.
College statistics show nearly 2 million fewer undergraduate students enrolled in 2020 than they did in 2000, on trend with a steady annual decline. While a college education has not been written off altogether, nor should it, trade schools have increased in popularity.
For these reasons, the mission of the Convention of States is more vital than ever. Lessons in self-governance must be passed down if the torch of liberty is to remain alight.
We do well to remember the often-quoted words of Ronald Reagan, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”
Convention of States has been tending this flame in the hearts of young people, through its Emerging Leaders Internship Program.
For more encouraging stories from interns themselves see here.
The university socialism problem
Published in Blog on December 19, 2022 by Catie Robertson
