This article was originally published on Waging Nonviolence. As students across the country return to their classrooms for the 2022-2023 academic year, teachers and other employees have been raising the alarm over widespread staffing shortages, low pay, safety concerns and unfair contracts. On Monday, over 500 staff members at American University in Washington, D.C. kicked off a five-day strike demanding higher wages and equitable pay structures after weeks of failed contract negotiations between the university and SEIU Local 500, which represents the workers. Many of the striking workers serve as advisers for first-year students, including Roshan Abraham. The employees first…