“I work in the Psychiatry department as a research assistant in a lab that studies how music can help people who are hearing voices. I do intake surveys, conduct various other study visits and provide administrative support. Because of the University’s tuition reimbursement program in our contract, I was able to get my master’s degree in social work in 2021. Using what I learned in graduate school helped me assist the participants who I work with. Many of our participants deal with housing insecurity and other issues and need assistance. I love my job, the people I work with and how our lab is advancing research in the field. But my life is getting financially harder and harder every day.
I am the sole source of income in my household. I have a 3-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter. My husband cares for our son while I work because day care is too expensive. Due to the rising cost of groceries my family has had to utilize the food pantry more often and we have seen it get busier and busier over the last few months. We are lucky that my daughter has access to free school lunches because it’s just one less meal we have to worry about during the day. We need help and I know I’m not the only one. We need to win significant raises in the next contract, it would help lift the burden just a little bit and maybe allow us to provide more than the basic necessities for our family.
I know the work that I do is important to the university and the world. Our research has the possibility to help so many people—a fact Yale is quite proud of. My work makes Yale work! And I know I deserve to be paid a decent living wage.”