A Union of Student Workers at Harvard University
About HGSU-UAW
HGSU-UAW is an organization of student workers from all schools, campuses and departments of Harvard University. We fight for better benefits, pay and working conditions to ensure our ability to provide the highest quality of teaching and research while receiving the level of respect we deserve.
Organizing Under Our New Contract
Our two contract campaigns have proved that having a strong union helps us win better compensation and benefits. In 2020, we got a 2.8% raise amidst wage freezes for non-union Harvard employees. In 2021, we won a 15% raise over four years, a period when non-union employees – including our faculty – are looking at 8-10% raises at most. We’ve also managed to establish and significantly grow benefits, with reimbursements for medical, childcare and emergency expenses, heavily subsidized dental insurance, and grants for parents. This is the “the union difference.”
But having a union makes an even bigger, if less measurable, difference in working conditions. Over the course of two contracts we’ve established protections against excessive workloads, harassment and discrimination, unjust disciplining of workers, and more. We’ve also enforced all of these protections ourselves. If someone’s workplace rights are violated, fellow student workers stand behind them, with the understanding that others will step up for them if and when needed. Having a strong union means we no longer need to rely on kind or understanding supervisors and administrators. We have each other to ensure fair working conditions.
Organizing is ultimately this – activating other student workers, linking them to this network of mutual support, and building our power to demand and then enforce our rights. That’s why organizing doesn’t end with a contract–now, with our second contract secured, we’re just getting started. How can we use the document that our organizing won–our contract–to grow a network of mutual support? Our present and future working conditions depend upon our answer to this question.
What has our organizing power won?
Quality, Affordable Heathcare
Quality mental, dental and vision healthcare for ourselves and our families are crucial in providing our highest level of teaching and research. Over the years, the costs of healthcare have increased, while the quality of our care has diminished. We are committed to stopping this trend, and we're proud to have won gains, including benefit funds to reimburse healthcare costs and 75% premium coverage of a new preventative dental plan starting in fall 2022.
Protections from Harassment and Discrimination
For too long, student workers have had to face discrimination and harassment in their daily lives, with only a Title IX system that has failed too often to be considered reliable. Ultimately, we need real recourse through an independent third party arbitrator is the gold standard that we continue to fight for; our second contract included a legal fund for survivors and limited access to arbitration in certain non-Title IX cases. We are committed to organizing to build on these gains.
Fair Pay and Equity
Student workers at other unionized universities have won improved pay and benefits, including ensuring all work is paid, protections from unfair workloads, and support for families to ensure we can be successful parents, teachers, researchers and students. Our organizing has won workload protections, benefit funds to reimburse childcare and dependent insurance costs, and wage increases--including a bump from a $17/hr to a $20/hr minimum hourly wage in our second contract and a 5% raise for salaried student workers.
