89 Percent of Harvard Dining Workers Authorize Strike, Paving Way for Walkout

Eighty-nine percent of Harvard University Dining Services workers who cast ballots Tuesday voted to authorize a strike, clearing the way for what could be the first dining hall walkout since 2016 as contract negotiations with the University stall.

Voting ran from Tuesday morning into the night. In all, 548 workers voted in favor and 67 voted against, with two ballots spoiled, according to the union. The vote comes after seven bargaining sessions between the University and the union since talks opened in March. Dining workers have been without a contract since June 19. The authorization allows the union’s bargaining committee to call a strike at any time, but it does not trigger an immediate walkout.

The union is fighting for three main demands: higher wages, affordable healthcare, and income during the summer, when many dining workers are out of work but cannot collect state unemployment benefits.

“Harvard is the world’s leading University, but the wage scale of the workers here at HUDS has fallen behind the majority of other universities in this great city,” Carlos R. Aramayo, president of UNITE HERE Local 26, said at a press conference announcing the results Tuesday night.

The union has pushed Harvard to match, and exceed, pay at neighboring universities, pointing to the University’s endowment, which grew to $68 billion last fiscal year.

“A university that has over 60 billion dollars in its endowment should do everything it possibly can to make sure all these folks who work hard to feed the students get paid not just what somebody at Lesley gets paid down the street, but frankly, more,” Aramayo said.

Health care costs have been a sticking point. At a September rally outside the Smith Campus Center, pantry steward Anabela Pappas said HUDS employees already pay more for coverage than dining workers at any other Boston university. She also said that Harvard’s latest proposal would raise those costs further.

The union has not yet set a strike deadline, but Aramayo said the union was considering one.

“I do think the clock is ticking a little bit here,” he said. “Folks have been working without a contract now for the entire semester, and I think there’s an impatience that we should be really getting to a serious conversation.”

Aramayo also credited students with backing the union’s campaign.

“I think they’ll be integral in getting us to a settlement because of the unique relationship our members have to the students.” Aramayo said.

More than 1,000 Harvard College students signed a petition from the Student Labor Action Movement, a Phillips Brooks House Association program, calling on Harvard to reach a fair contract with dining workers.

“I feel like students have an obligation to stand up for them and support them, just because they’ve done the same for them,” Sean B. Merrill ’30, who spoke at the press conference, said. “It’s the golden rule. Do unto others as they do unto you.”

HUDS has not gone on strike since October 2016, when dining employees stayed off the job for 22 days. The walkout forced Harvard to close several dining halls, while the rest ran on skeleton crews of managers, reassigned staff, and temporary hires.

“Today, these workers are ready to do that again. They’re ready to walk out again and to fight for again modest demands for what they need and what they deserve, fair wages, health care, and some way to get through the summer,” Aramayo said.

—Staff writer José Luis Ortega Castro can be reached at [email protected]