Now is the time to join us on the picket lines tomorrow and all week!
As of the end of our bargaining session today, it is clear we must proceed as planned with our strike scheduled to commence tomorrow morning. We worked hard in recent days to formulate modifications to a number of our core economic proposals (see details below) in the hopes of finding common ground. But the administration has refused to agree to meaningful progress on our core issues. The strike will proceed as planned.
If you are a striking worker and picketing tomorrow, you need to sign in at the Strike Headquarters in the basement of Phillips Brooks House in Harvard Yard starting at 10AM. Pickets begin at 10AM at Massachusetts Hall and end at 5PM. Be sure to dress warmly, wear comfortable shoes if you will be marching, and bring an umbrella. The forecast has snow in the morning, but nature cannot stop us!
We will continue to picket from 8:30AM to 5PM every day this week (text “hgsuuaw” to 99795 any time to receive picketing updates). This week’s pickets are our chance to show the administration our determination to win a fair contract. The strength of our contract will be determined on the picket line.
If you haven’t reviewed our official strike notice already, please take a moment to do that now. It includes critical information about the rights of strikers including strike benefits. And remember to check in at the Cambridge or Longwood strike HQ at the beginning of each picketing shift.
As your bargaining committee we communicated to the administration our willingness to meet throughout this past weekend, all day and into the night today, and for as long as necessary to reach a full and fair agreement once the strike commences. Though, as of the end of this morning’s bargaining session, the University has indicated no willingness to schedule more time, we hope they give thorough consideration to our latest offers and make a vigorous effort to reach agreement.
Revised Economic Package: In bargaining, we gave a thoughtful new proposal on economic issues aimed at enabling us to find common ground. We worked diligently throughout the weekend to put together a package of revised economic proposals that we believe is reasonable and would represent a meaningful investment by the administration to make Harvard more family-friendly, help sustain academic competitiveness and excellence, and make Harvard more inclusive by addressing priority flaws in existing health benefits that negatively affect student workers. You can read our revised proposal here on our website.
Strike Commitment Emails from the administration: Some of us have received emails from the administration asking us to confirm we will be fulfilling our academic responsibilities. We recommend that you respond to these emails with this message: “In response to your inquiry, I will continue to fulfill my student academic responsibilities, including academic project responsibilities, during the HGSU-UAW strike.”
We know that striking is a last resort and if any significant compromises are made we will be in touch with all membership. This strike can end if the administration agrees to a fair contract. We urge all student workers to strike and picket every day to support a fair contract. We can only win by standing together now.
With solidarity,
HGSU-UAW
Bargaining Committee
Jenni Austiff, Organismic and Evolutionary
Biology
Justin Bloesch, Economics
Cherrie Bucknor, Sociology
Lee Kennedy-Shaffer, Biostatistics
Hector Medina, Systems Biology
Cory McCartan, Statistics
Cole Meisenhelder, Physics
Ege Yumusak, Philosophy
Rachel Sandalow-Ash, Law
