HGSU On Strike for Living Wages, Real Recourse & International Worker Protections
After 14 months of contract negotiations and nearly a year without an active contract, over 4,000 workers represented by the Harvard Graduate Students Union (HGSU-UAW Local 5118) launched a strike on Tuesday.
This move follows a strike authorization vote in which 96% voted in favor. Graduate student workers will suspend teaching and research labor until Harvard’s bargaining team takes substantive action in addressing the union’s key issues: pay that keeps pace with the rising cost of living, real recourse for harassment and discrimination, support for non-citizen students, protections for academic freedom, and “fair share fees” to equitably distribute the expenses of union representation, among others.
“We tried to have faith in the bargaining process, but, after 14 months, it has become clear that our only option is to strike,” said Evan Lemire, PhD Candidate in Population Health Sciences and union Executive Board member. “Our work is not sustainable and our community is not safe without the protections we are advocating for. Harvard must understand that the university is built on our labor, and that labor is not guaranteed.”
All week, strikers have received support from other unions including UNITE HERE, SEIU, IBEW, and Teamsters. At least a dozen elected officials and UAW-endorsed candidates have visited the picket line including UAW Local 2320 members State Senator Lydia Edwards and State Senator Tram Nguyen.
On Thursday, members rallied at the Science Center Plaza to hear from speakers including HGSU President Sara Speller, former HGSU President Evan MacKay now running as a UAW-endorsed candidate for State Representative, and members of other campus unions including the Harvard Academic Workers (HAW-UAW).
Follow @hgsuuaw on Instagram for the latest updates on how to support the strike.
In the news:
- Boston Globe: On the picket lines at Harvard, graduate students launch strike with leaflets — and lots of doughnuts (April 21)
- Harvard Crimson: Harvard’s Graduate Workers Strike as Negotiations Stall (Live)
- Harvard Independent: The Harvard Graduate Student Union Strikes For Increased Pay and Protections (April 23)