The Workers Union of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) initiated a strike on Tuesday morning following a deadlock with university administration regarding the employees' medical plan. ^[1] Isha M. Renta López and Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, graduates of the Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), will receive awards from the American Meteorological Society (AMS). ^[2] The union ratified a strike vote last week, which activates if an agreement is not reached by the administration on the medical plan selected by the union members. ^[3] Union President David Muñoz stated that protests are occurring differently across the ten campuses, with some workers occupying offices inside the Río Piedras campus while others are blocking entrances in Humacao and Ponce. ^[4] Union President Muñoz highlighted that the administration refused a proposal to allow the union's selected medical plan for one month, noting that the union's plan costs approximately $100 less per month than the institutional plan and requires no premium payments from workers. ^[5] Isha M. Renta López will receive the 2027 Robert H. and Joanne Simpson Mentorship Award for her contributions to mentoring in atmospheric sciences. ^[6] The awards will be presented during the AMS annual conference in Denver, Colorado, in January 2027. ^[7] Ángel F. Adames Corraliza will receive the Clarence Leroy Meisinger Award for his outstanding contributions to atmospheric sciences early in his career. ^[8]