Strike Frequently Asked Questions
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Why are we calling a Strike Authorization Vote and what has been the status of negotiations?
Our union was certified in April 2024, and we have been bargaining with the administration since September 2024, over the course of 30+ sessions and counting. While we have made progress and tentatively agreed on a number of articles (which can be found here), the administration has made little movement on many of core demands and has routinely taken months, even a year, to respond to key articles. On many occasions they have refused to return articles for long periods–and then returned contract language with hardly any changes from their previous position.
We have tried repeatedly to convince the administration of the need for this contract. We have invited members, tenured faculty and other stakeholders to testify at bargaining, signed and delivered petitions from our majority of our unit demanding a contract now, and held rallies on key issues to signal the importance of what we’re fighting for. It has become increasingly clear that the administration will not bargain in earnest without further demonstration of our power.
The pattern of surface bargaining (which is illegal), the refusal to bargain over mandatory subjects of our working conditions (such as artificial intelligence and academic freedom) and ignoring our many efforts to convince them to do the right thing has shown how little respect the administration has for our work and the emphasises the necessity of a strike. The administration has given us no choice.
How do we decide to strike?
Before any strike, our Union will run a Strike Authorization Vote (SAV) to allow every one of our members to vote on whether they believe a strike is necessary. We would only consider a strike following a SAV vote with 2/3rd of voters voting yes. After a successful SAV, the elected Bargaining Committee of our union is empowered to call for a strike if negotiations continue to proceed slowly. Members would be given due notice of any potential strike actions from the BC and will be able to prepare ahead of time.
Are we going to strike?
If Harvard Admins make us. We’ve been bargaining for over a year, we delivered a majority petition, we rallied. We don’t want to strike, but Harvard is playing a game with us, not moving until we show enough collective power. If we demonstrate that enough of us are ready to strike, we hope Harvard will understand that our cause is just and quickly negotiate a fair contract with us. Then we won’t need to strike. This has worked for many other unions. But if Harvard does not negotiate, then we may decide we need to go on strike.
Has the union tried anything else?
Yes, a majority of us demanded for a fair contract in the Fall, and we have had multiple demonstrations calling on the administration to negotiate swiftly. Members from across campus continue to attend bargaining to show admins our support for our bargaining team, and we are reaching out to elected officials, alumni, the press, students and their families to inform them of how the administration’s proposals and responses are degrading the quality of Harvard’s education and research, and urging them to support our right to a fair contract.
What are our demands?
Some of our core demands are:
- Job Security
- Wages
- Protections from Discrimination, Abuse, and Harassment
- Non-Citizen Workers’ Rights and Protections
- Full inclusion for all members of our unit
What does a strike look like? How long will it last?
A strike is a complete work stoppage. During a strike our members would not perform our work duties and instead would participate in picket lines to increase the visibility of the strike. Strike lengths are not predetermined. They are based on the will of the membership and the Harvard administration’s willingness to make meaningful movement in negotiations.
What is a picket line?
A picket line is a daily in-person demonstration that signals our dispute and encourages other community members to join in solidarity. We can increase the impact of a strike by encouraging colleagues and community allies not to cross the line if possible and avoid activities that weaken our strike.
What do I do instead of work if we go on strike?
During a strike, members would participate in various strike duties including picketing in and around campus, talking to coworkers, outreach to allies, and strike coordination efforts.
How do I strike?
First, you will only strike if a majority of us decide to, and if Harvard is still stalling our negotiations. Then, if we strike, we all will stop all Harvard work.
So I’m just going to do nothing?
Join us on the picket lines! But you can also work on yourself and on your own professional development: work on job applications, read that book you never had time to finish, or write one, learn a new skill. You can also help the union, picket, organize, spread the word. You can reflect on the nature of academic work, the place it has at Harvard and in society. You will help yourself return to a place of work that is safer, a job more secure, your contribution more valued. A strike is not idle, it’s a movement, it’s an aspiration, it’s change for the better.
What makes a strike effective?
Maximum participation! Our collective withholding of our labor is the most effective tool we have to put pressure on the administration. Our members represent a critical mass of the research and teaching labor that makes Harvard one of the leading educational institutions in the world. The more of us that strike, the more collective power we hold. When we demonstrate our solidarity publicly and call on our allies in the University and the community to respect our picket line, we also increase pressure on the administration to heed calls to negotiate with us fairly and swiftly.
Is it legal for us to go on strike?
Yes. Striking is a legal protected activity and, as with all union actions, our solidarity and willingness to be public is our best protection. We are stronger the more of us there are. We’ll support each other and work with our elected leadership and other representatives to navigate challenges as they arise.
Can I be disciplined for striking?
Retaliation for union participation is illegal. As mentioned above, our solidarity together is also our best protection. In other words: they’d have to take on all of us in order to take on one of us.
Can I only strike from certain job duties?
No. Partial striking (i.e., not doing only certain parts of your job) is not protected. This means that the employer would legally be allowed to fire you if you participate in a partial strike by only doing some of your job duties.
Am I allowed to strike if I am an international worker?
Yes. Under labor law, international workers have the exact same protections as citizens to participate in union activities, including striking. At universities across the country, thousands of international workers have gone on strike in recent years to win strong contracts. In the last year, international workers at Wellesley, Weill Cornell and University of Pennsylvania all organized to go on strike to win better working conditions, and at Cornell and UPenn, the universities agreed to fair contracts to avoid so many of them going on strike!
Will I get paid if I go on strike?
The administration will have the right to withhold pay for the duration of the strike. In the event of a strike, members who complete strike duties will be eligible for $500 a week from the UAW Strike Fund. Additionally, we will fundraise our own hardship fund to distribute to our members who are most vulnerable and in need of funds to make up shortfalls.
Will the Harvard administration care if we go on strike?
Yes! Our researchers and instructors are key to the ongoing mission of the university. Postdoctoral researchers and staff researchers conduct the field-defining research that Harvard is known for. Our non-ladder faculty teach essential courses, advise undergraduate theses, and assign grades–all of which could be withheld at a key moment of the semester, thus grinding to a halt core parts of the university. Additionally, a strike would attract significant media and political interest at a time when the Corporation can ill afford further bad press, increasing pressure on administration to conclude negotiations fairly and swiftly.
Isn’t going on strike only going to hurt our own research?
Perhaps a little, but we will be able to plan ahead: store samples, slow down experiment, coordinate with other striking lab members, find a lab tech or a grad student who can maintain experiments for a while. We may do our own research, but our scientific production belongs to Harvard, we work for them. Our research output brings Harvard prestige, funding, intellectual property income, so Harvard will feel it if we stop our research. It would give us the leverage to reach a fair contract that would ultimately allow us to do our jobs more effectively. At other universities, research strikes have resulted in long term protections, job security, and wage increases, all of which will improve our research abilities.
Will going on strike hurt my students?
We can explain to them why we are striking: it’s to save the quality of their education! This depends on our ability to teach them–and our ability to teach them well depends on our working conditions. While students may miss out on class time and be anxious about their grades, ultimately, the long term protections, job security, and wage increases for our members will allow us to be better teachers in the future. We can also help our students to understand our strike as a consequence of the administration’s actions, invite them to our picket line, and encourage them to call on Harvard’s leaders to bargain fairly to end a strike. The more of us that strike, the more likely it is we can resolve negotiations quickly.
If we strike, will we be provided advanced notice?
When and how we strike will be a decision that we make together, with feedback from across the unit, as well as from the bargaining committee. While we will be able to strike at any point after an SAV vote, we will not call a strike unless we feel confident that a majority of workers are likely to participate.
What should I do with my live test subjects during a strike?
There are ways that you can prepare for a potential strike. These could include advance-planning your experiments or informing supervisors that they may need to make alternative plans to take care of these subjects. Strike Captains can assist you in making plans and answering questions specific to your context. Harvard also will still be required to follow legally mandated lab animal care in your absence.
If we strike, what should I communicate to my PI or supervisor?
For researchers, you should communicate basic maintenance requirements for the time you are out and inform them of what essential duties will need to be covered.
You can also encourage them to take actions to help end a strike quickly:
- Join us on the picket line
- Speak to their department chair
- Contact the Provost and President