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Graduates protest for health care

Complete with picket signs and bullhorns, about 150 students and Charlottesville community members gathered outside of Old Cabell Hall yesterday, demanding health coverage for graduate students.

The protest immediately preceded University President John T. Casteen III's annual State of the University address.

The Labor Action Group also attended the rally, in support of the Graduate Labor Alliance.

"We believe our goals are intertwined," GLA and LAG member Bill Albertini said.

The rally aimed to show support for a recent University proposal, submitted to the Board of Visitors, to create $900 annual stipends for teaching and research assistants who earn over $5,000 a year.

The Board of Visitors will meet in mid-June to discuss the proposal.

"Like other workers of the University, we are organizing and demanding the administrators and Board of Visitors recognize how essential we are to the success of the University," said Justin Gifford, GLA founder and an English graduate student.

Graduate students share many similarities with other University employees, Gifford said.

The move for graduate student coverage is "definitely to be seen and to be made an issue," graduate Engineering student James Mabry said. "We obviously want health care for all health coverage. It is a peaceful protest."

Graduate Arts and Sciences student Markella Rutherford, who handed out flyers to individuals walking by the rally, said any administrative support for graduate student health care helps.

"Even if they covered the cheapest plan and we add to that, that would be better than nothing," Rutherford said.

This year, the issue gained widespread attention when Student Council and the Graduate Arts and Sciences Council jointly addressed the issue.

Student Council President-elect Abby Fifer said the issue will continue to be a priority, noting this was part of her campaign promise. Council now provides and will continue to provide a connection between students and administrators to facilitate the process, Fifer said.

"I'm really pleased to see so many students, both graduate and undergraduate students, come together on this issue," Fifer added.

Though the recent victory of gaining stipends for only a select portion of the graduate student population has been reached, Gifford said there is still much more work to be done.

"We are not going away. We are going to continue to agitate until every graduate student and their family is fully covered," he said.

Casteen stopped and listened to the rally's loud chants as he walked in late for his speech. He applauded along with the rest of the protesters, gave a slow nod to the crowd, and walked into Old Cabell Hall.

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