The biggest strike of the year.

48,000 University of California workers walk off the job.

My art is on Instagram @klonskyart.

It is snowing in Chicago this morning.

No shoveling required yet. But it WAS seventy-five degrees a week ago.

I ran into my neighbors this morning who reminded me I once lived in California and CHOSE to move to Chicago.

I love my city of the past 50 years.

But when the first snowfall comes, I do get nostalgic.

Speaking of California.

Yesterday 48,000 University of California workers went on strike making it the largest strike in the United States this year.

Unionized academic workers across the University of California’s 10 campuses who do much of the teaching and research at the state’s premier higher education system walked off the job Monday morning, calling for better pay and benefits.

“UAW members at UC remain on strike, and we will be walking picket lines tomorrow,” Rafael Jaime, president of United Auto Workers Local 2865, which represents 19,000 of the 48,000 workers, told the L.A. Times yesterday.

Teaching assistants, postdoctoral scholars, graduate student researchers, tutors and fellows across the UC system have hit the bricks.

Classes are canceled. Labs are locked down.

It is the largest strike at any academic institution in history.

The workers are demanding significant pay increases, child-care subsidies, enhanced healthcare for dependents, longer family leave, public transit passes and lower tuition costs for international scholars.

The current average pay is around $24,000.

Poverty level.

They’re demanding twice that.