Official Strike Notice and Guidelines
This contains official information about the upcoming Harvard Graduate Students Union – United Auto Workers strike. Strikers will stop work on the first hour of December 3rd.
PARTICIPATION IN THE STRIKE:
- Duration: The Bargaining Committee has called the strike to begin on December 3rd, and the Bargaining Committee will send future notices announcing progress on the contract negotiations. It is an individual’s decision to join the strike and withhold or return to your work. The bargaining committee believes it is critical that we all participate to win the strongest contract we can.
- Terms: Participation in a strike consists of withholding our assigned duties of teaching and research. The bargaining committee does not condone engaging in a partial strike (i.e. choosing to withhold some work, and resume others). During the strike, student workers are expected to sign up for strike duties.
- Strike duties: Strikers take on a variety of duties during the strike to ensure its success. We recommend that every striker spend 10 hours at the picket line or on other strike duty per week.
- Signing up for strike duties: Strike duties include picketing, volunteering to act as a picket captain, police liaison, turnout leader, and serve on the strike, community outreach, and hardship committees. Workers with accessibility concerns are encouraged to reach out to us now, or express their concerns at the strike headquarters. We are committed to making this strike accessible to all. Similarly, if you will be out of town during the strike and intend to withhold work remotely, reach out to us. You can sign up for strike duties here.
- Academic work: Strikers will continue their academic work as normal. They can do so in their usual location of work (e.g. lab or office).
- Strike Benefits eligibility: Strikers who lose pay are eligible for strike pay. All hourly workers who will not do the work they are assigned to will be losing pay. Strikers who lose pay after picketing or the strike ends will still be eligible to receive pay and benefits with proof of participation and loss of pay. To be eligible for strike benefits such as strike pay or access to the hardship fund, student workers need to participate in the strike by assuming a strike duty for an average of 4 hours (or 2 shifts) per week. These hours can be performed at any point over the course of the strike. More information on these benefits can be found below.
- Strike Headquarters: Those performing picket or other strike duties will sign in with a strike captain at the strike headquarters before they start their duties to log in their participation, and sign out when they leave. At Cambridge, strike headquarters will be in the basement of Phillips Brooks House Association. At Longwood, strike headquarters will be in TMEC 117 for Dec. 4, and Dec 5-6 in TMEC 151
RIGHTS OF STRIKERS:
- Handing over grades: All strikers with teaching duties are required to hand over completed work to their supervisors. For those who are sole instructors, your supervisor will often be the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
- Intimidation concerns: The University prohibits retaliation by supervisors:
“Individuals who hold supervisory roles over student workers, including faculty, should be cautioned not to question student workers about their strike activities, such as asking them whether they are going to strike, who else is going to strike, how many student workers are supporting the strike, what is the level of support for the strike, how long it will last.”
Their guidance can be found here. If you believe that you are being intimidated or retaliated against for participation in the strike, contact us immediately. You can do so by reaching out to us at [email protected], and we will connect you with a member of the strike committee who is handling these circumstances.
- International students: International students have the same rights and protections as any other student worker. In fact, international students have participated in many recent strikes, including at Columbia and UIC. None have faced problems with their visas.
- Pay loss notification: It is legal for the University to not pay workers for the duration that they are on strike. If you suffer any loss of pay, contact us immediately. This includes hours not worked by hourly workers. You can do so by writing an email to hgsu.general [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Put “Pay Loss” in the subject line.
- Access to the Hardship Fund: We are fundraising for donations to be used by members who are in exceptionally difficult circumstances. Striking members can apply for assistance by visiting the headquarters and speaking with a member of the Hardship committee who will be taking applications for assistance.
- Receiving strike pay: To receive strike pay, you need to do three tasks:
- At the beginning of each of your shifts, visit the HQ to sign in and get your Strike Assistance Card if you do not have one.
- Once you are assigned a picket captain, join the picket line.
- At the end of your shift, have your picket captain fill out your Strike Assistance Card, and sign out at the HQ.
- Once your strike assistance card is filled out completely, turn it over to a Strike Committee Member
- Fill out a Strike Assistance Registration Form in the Headquarters. We will begin signing them on Friday Dec 6. This form initiates the processing of checks (we are not eligible for strike benefits until after our strike has lasted 8 days, so the registration happens before the 8th day).
PICKETING:
- Hours: Pickets will commence at 10AM on December 3rd, Tuesday in front of Massachusetts Hall. Picketing will continue each subsequent day in Cambridge from 8:30AM-5:30PM until further notice. In Longwood, picketing will begin on December 4th and continue each subsequent day from 8:30AM-1:30PM. Picketing schedule will be continuously updated here.
- Locations: Picket locations will be variable and will not be announced ahead of time. Check in at the Strike Headquarters for the location of the picket line each day. You will also be able to text 99795 to find out where the picket line is. In addition, our picket lines during this strike are porous—members will need to enter their workplaces in order to continue their academic work and strikers will not block people from entering any campus buildings.
RESOURCES FOR THOSE STRIKING:
- Notice to supervisor: Strikers are under no obligation to report that they are striking. However, we recommend sending a notice to your supervisor, if possible together with all of your colleagues, to communicate that you will be withholding your labor. A sample email template can be found here.
- Notice to students (if teaching): Similarly, we recommend you inform your students that you will not be available during the strike. You can find a sample email template here to notify your students here.
- Email Auto-response: Here is an auto-response email that you can use during the strike.
- Out-to-picket sign: Here is an out-to-picket sign that you can place on your office door or desk while you are away from your office to make your strike visible.
