Temple University undergrads join striking graduate students for on-campus rally, march

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Hundreds of undergraduates showed up Wednesday afternoon in a show of support for the approximately 750 Temple University graduate teaching assistants who have been on strike since last month.

Members of the Temple University Graduate Student Association, also known as TUGSA, say the average TA makes less than $20,000 a year, which the union believes is unreasonable.

"We are just waiting for them to sit at the table. We are willing to negotiate. The strike is just a move to escalate negotiations...because we need a better contract and we need to negotiate with them," said Temple Teaching Assistant Jesus Fernandez.

TUGSA has been negotiating with the administration for higher wages, better benefits and improved working conditions.

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Union member Kyler Lehrbach says he is overwhelmed by this show of support from the undergrads.

"There are so many undergraduates and great community members showing support. It really helps us recognize, as the graduate students on strike, that the rest of the community has our back," he said.

Temple recently released a statement reading in part, "After almost a year of negotiations, TUGSA continues to demand 50% pay increases, increases in free health coverage, and other benefits not available to even full-time employees. We are hopeful that we can continue working with TUGSA to reach an agreement that benefits all parties in the near future."

But union officials say they are not as optimistic.

"We are going on a third week of being on strike now after a year of negotiations with the university...We are out here for a very reasonable demand, trying to get a living wage for our people," said TUGSA member Bethany Kosmicki.

Meanwhile, officials from Temple say negotiations are expected to resume Thursday morning.