Friday, we had our tenth bargaining session with the administration since we were certified 10 months ago. While we are getting closer on a number of substantive proposals, it’s frustratingly clear that the administration does not take seriously our goal in getting a contract which will take effect in the Fall semester. We therefore strongly urge student workers to sign this petition calling on the Harvard administration to give us the time we need to bargain our contract now. Here is the status on most of the proposals discussed today:
- Compensation, titles and classifications. This week we put articles on the table to increase compensation for all types of student workers, guarantee a substantial raise in each year of employment and, ensure that we are paid in a timely manner. We recognize the high cost of living in the Boston area and want to make sure that our compensation enables us to live, study, and work here.
- International student worker rights. The admins finally responded to our proposal we presented in October, but sadly, they shared a bare-bones counterproposal. We reinforced the need to protect international student workers, including addressing the fees and other costs associated with discriminatory immigration policies that their proposal ignored.
- Appointment notification. We want to receive notification of our appointment in a timely manner, be given a written description of our work duties, and a clear explanation of the time commitment necessary to perform our work. This is important for allowing us to plan our work for the semester.
- Appointment security. We want to prevent our appointments from being unilaterally taken away from us. The administration refuses to agree to those types of protections.
- Job postings. While we agreed that the university will post available jobs for student workers who do not have appointments or are underemployed. We think that all open-hire positions should be posted to create transparency and create opportunities to find work.
- Workspace and materials. The University should provide us with the materials and space to be able to complete our work. While we agree on most topics, we maintain our disagreement on at least one crucial topic. We believe we should have a voice in determining what materials are necessary to carry our work, yet the admins don’t want to share power.
- Health and safety. We are getting close on a proposal. We want to ensure that workspaces are not causing health problems, that students with disabilities are being protected, and that our work is not creating chronic health problems.
- Emergency support. We proposed the creation of a funding mechanism for students who have financial hardship due to housing emergencies, illness and natural disaster. Many students don’t have the financial capacity to deal with unexpected costs, and we want to create a clear mechanism where all student workers can access these funds.
Our next bargaining session is scheduled for March 4th. Please reach out if you have questions or would like to get more involved in helping win our contract this year.
