The Harvard Graduate Student Union-United Auto Workers (HGSU-UAW) said Friday that it will go on strike on April 21 if Harvard does not respond to its demands, according to the Harvard Crimson.In an email to members, the union said Harvard negotiators had not addressed key issues, including wages, protections for noncitizen workers, and access to third-party arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination.Union leaders cited the results of the vote to authorize the strike held last month, in which nearly 96 percent of participating members voted in favor of the strike.“Student workers do not take the decision to strike lightly,” the union said in the email, as reported by the Harvard Crimson.
“This overwhelming result is an indication of the disappointment we feel.”Jason Newton, a spokesman for Harvard University, said the strike was not necessary.“In the final negotiating sessions this week, we felt progress was being made in key areas,” Newton said in a statement reported by the Harvard Crimson. He added: “This progress can only continue through discussions at the table, and we will continue to participate in negotiations in good faith to reach an agreement.”
The deadline was set amid limited progress
The union said it remains open to reaching an agreement before the deadline.“We hope that between now and the strike deadline, Harvard will make a good faith effort to come to the table and meet with us and negotiate our articles,” Lindsay Adams, a member of the negotiating committee, said, according to the Harvard Crimson. “On the morning of the 21st, we went on strike until we got a fair contract,” she added.Progress in negotiations has been limited so far. A preliminary agreement was reached on two articles of the contract, while 24 articles are still under discussion.HGSU-UAW President Sarah Fee said. Spiller, said the process of authorizing the strike included widespread participation.“It was a very democratic process,” she said, as quoted by the Harvard Crimson. “We opened it up for a month to make sure people could get as much information as possible and spend time deciding whether they wanted to vote yes.”
Potential impact on university operations
If a strike occurs, it is expected to impact teaching, assessment, and research activities throughout Harvard.Graduate students, including teaching fellows, course assistants, and research assistants, are expected to participate.The union’s bargaining committee voted earlier this week to set the deadline, but the decision was announced publicly on Friday after a members’ meeting earlier in the week, Adams said.One bargaining session remains before the deadline. A one-hour meeting is scheduled for April 20.
Past strike actions
If implemented, this will be the union’s third strike since its founding.In November 2019, graduate student workers went on strike for five weeks after negotiations failed to produce an initial contract.In 2021, the union held a three-day strike as talks over a second contract faltered. Disagreements continued over key provisions before a tentative agreement was reached later that year.The agreement included pay increases, a legal defense fund, and expanded access to Title IX resources, according to the Harvard Crimson.
