Harvard Custodians Ratify New Four-Year Contract After Months of Bargaining

Harvard custodians overwhelmingly ratified a new four-year contract this week, capping nearly six months of contentious bargaining with the University.

A majority of members of Service Employees International Union 32BJ participated in the vote, which was conducted by paper ballot at worksites across campus and hand-counted by union leaders. Custodians cast ballots at locations across the Harvard system — including Harvard Yard and graduate schools — with polling stations open from morning through evening on Monday and Tuesday.

Under longstanding union policy, the union does not release percentages or exact vote totals.

Union leaders said the ratification process proceeded smoothly and drew strong participation.

“We actually really didn’t have any issues,” said Kevin Brown, executive vice president of 32BJ. “It went very smoothly and people were enthusiastic about voting — to participate in the union democracy — and felt great about the results, great about the contract, and great about the ratification results.”

Brown added that the union was “very pleased” with member engagement and support for the agreement.

The ratification follows a tentative agreement reached in early March during the most recent bargaining session between Harvard and the union’s bargaining committee. In the weeks that followed, union leadership circulated details of the contract to members via email and text.

As part of the agreement, custodians will receive a $500 ratification bonus — about half of the $1,000 Harvard had proposed during a February bargaining session.

The contract also includes the largest wage increase for Harvard custodians in two decades: a $4 hourly raise over four years, increasing pay from $28.68 in 2026 to $32.68 in 2029.

Both sides agreed to maintain fully funded healthcare benefits — a central priority for the union — even as costs for its health plan continue to rise.

The agreement also includes new language governing immigration enforcement, outlining protections for workers removed from their jobs by immigration authorities. Union leaders said ensuring Harvard complies with those provisions will be a key focus during implementation.

However, the final contract does not include earlier union proposals to provide members with access to immigration lawyers or to establish a legal defense fund.

Shop stewards — workplace leaders who serve as a link between union leadership and rank-and-file membership — played a key role in explaining the agreement during the voting process and will continue to do so as the contract is integrated and distributed, according to Brown.

The ratification also concludes a bargaining period that included a two-day strike and the involvement of a federal mediator.

“Glad that we were able to come to an agreement with the University in the end, after a tumultuous almost six-month period, and glad again for all the support received from the Harvard students and the Harvard community as well,” Brown said.

“That made a huge difference in us being able to achieve this remarkable agreement,” he added.

—Staff writer Taylor M. Bierwerth can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @tmbierwerth.