Harvard Student Strike a Warning to University

Graduate students planned a three-day-long strike to demand fair pay, union security, and improved protections against sexual harassment and discrimination. If an agreement isn’t met, the union says they may strike longer, potentially disrupting university research.

Written byChloe Tenn

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ABOVE: Harvard graduate student picket line outside the university’s science center
COURTESY OF IRENE WONG

Update (November 17): A tentative contract agreement has been reached between the Harvard Graduate Student Union and the university administration, with a full union ratification vote set for this week, reports Inside Higher Ed.

On Wednesday, October 27, Harvard University student workers began their first day of striking for a new three-year contract, Times Higher Education reports. The picket lines are planned to last until 6 PM Eastern tonight (October 29), overlapping with Harvard’s parents’ weekend and midterm exams. If an agreement isn’t reached, a longer strike may follow.

Led by the Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers (HGSU-UAW), the strikers demand compensation rates that keep pace with inflation and rising living costs in Boston, according to Times Higher Education. Furthermore, the union is asking for a more objective complaint process for sex discrimination cases with ...

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Meet the Author

Chloe Tenn
Chloe Tenn is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where she studied neurobiology, English, and forensic science. Fascinated by the intersection of science and society, she has written for organizations such as NC Sea Grant and the Smithsonian. Chloe also works as a freelancer with AZoNetwork, where she ghostwrites content for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food, energy, and environmental companies. She recently completed her MSc Science Communication from the University of Manchester, where she researched how online communication impacts disease stigma. You can check out more of her work here.
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