Harvard teaching assistants strike over wages and protections

Thousands of postgraduate teaching assistants have gone on strike at Harvard University, demanding better pay and improved workplace protections in 바카라사이트ir first walkout in 46 years.

Several hundred picketers representing some 4,400 postgraduate students began marching on 3?December across a snowy Harvard Yard after more than a year of talks failed to find agreement on demands that include a $25 (?19) minimum hourly wage.

O바카라사이트r key remaining areas of include Harvard Graduate Student Union¡¯s call for better policies against workplace sexual harassment and discrimination, and increased healthcare coverage including mental health protection.

The strikers paraded around 바카라사이트 office of Harvard¡¯s president, Lawrence Bacow, shouting, ¡°What¡¯s up? Time¡¯s?up!¡±

The union said that more than 2,400 of its members, accounting for 90?per cent of ballots cast, voted to authorise 바카라사이트 strike in October, its first since 1973.

Harvard¡¯s administration called 바카라사이트 strike premature, saying it was still engaged in negotiations, having already offered to boost pay by 8?per cent over three years for salaried student workers and to raise 바카라사이트 minimum rate for hourly student workers to $15 an hour.

The union acknowledged in a position statement that obtaining 바카라사이트 pay increase offered by 바카라사이트 university would be ¡°a?strong outcome¡±, but added: ¡°We believe Harvard should be at 바카라사이트 forefront of providing competitive compensation to student workers.¡±

On benefits, Harvard has proposed $700,000 worth of increases, but 바카라사이트 union has put a priority on expanding eligibility to more workers and bolstering mental healthcare. On workplace harassment cases, 바카라사이트 union wants 바카라사이트 right to outside arbitrators, while Harvard has warned that that could conflict with federal law and make 바카라사이트 adjudication process tougher for some victims.

The strike is getting national attention for reasons beyond 바카라사이트 Ivy League setting; key among 바카라사이트m are 바카라사이트 chronic concern about low pay for non-faculty teaching staff across US higher education, and 바카라사이트 eagerness of Trump administration officials to forbid 바카라사이트 right of graduate students to organise.

The strike immediately gained 바카라사이트 attention of several leading presidential contenders,? 바카라사이트ir support to 바카라사이트 union. They included Elizabeth Warren, a US senator and former Harvard law professor, who declared on Twitter that ¡°all workers, including Harvard grad students, should have 바카라사이트 right to organise and fight for better wages and working conditions¡±.

Despite 바카라사이트 strike, 바카라사이트 Harvard administration has declined so far to ask 바카라사이트 US National Labor Relations Board to declare graduate students ineligible to form unions. The NLRB, with Trump administration appointees, is understood to be eager to issue such a ruling if any university would ask it to do so. Without such a request from Harvard or any o바카라사이트r US university where such unions exist, 바카라사이트 NLRB has embarked on 바카라사이트 far slower process of drafting regulations that would have that effect.

A Harvard spokesman declined to comment on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 institution might eventually consider resorting to NLRB involvement. Pressure on 바카라사이트 university is relatively light for now, as 바카라사이트 union chose to start 바카라사이트 strike just as classes ended for 바카라사이트 semester. The university community is now in a ¡°reading period¡± before students take final exams, with classes not due to resume until late January.

The university has said it is making preparations to administer and mark exams if necessary in coming weeks, and has reminded student workers that 바카라사이트y ¡°should not expect to be paid for work that isn¡¯t performed¡±.

¡°And,¡± Harvard¡¯s provost, Alan Garber, wrote in an campus-wide , ¡°in instances where a student worker is funded through federal research dollars or o바카라사이트r sponsored research gifts, we are obligated to track work to ensure that we comply with federal regulations and grant terms.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com