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Scientists to present 60-metre-long open letter to federal government demanding raise

Aug 11, 2022 | 2:02 AM

OTTAWA — Hundreds of scientists and researchers are expected to gather on Parliament Hill today to call for a raise.

Organizers of the “Support our Science” rally say they will present an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Science and Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne that has been signed by thousands of scientists and measures more than 60 metres long.

The group says many graduate and post-doctoral scholars receive funding from three federal agencies, but often the scholarships amount to less than minimum wage.

They also say graduate students have not seen a raise since 2003, and post-doctoral scholars have only had wages rise by 12.5 per cent in those 19 years.