Labor
Grad Student Unions, Experts Expect Friendlier Climate for Labor Under Biden
With President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. taking office Wednesday, HGSU-UAW President Brandon J. Mancilla said he expects the “whole climate” for student unions to change.
Harvard and the Biden Administration
As Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th U.S. president Wednesday, a team of Crimson reporters explored how the Biden administration will affect international students, admissions, labor, and everything in between at Harvard. Here's a look at how the Biden administration will reshape the University — and what role Harvard will play in shaping it.
On Eve of Pay Cuts, Unions Urge Harvard to Extend Paid Leave For Contracted Workers
More than 30 Harvard workers and supporters called for contracted employees idled by the pandemic to receive paid leave in the spring during a socially-distanced rally in Harvard Yard Thursday.
Harvard Custodians Ratify One-Year Contract with University, Push to Protect Contracted Employees from Layoffs
Custodians at Harvard ratified a year-long contract with the University last Friday that guarantees health benefits and a one-time bonus, but does not protect contracted custodians from impending layoffs.
Harvard University Dining Services Appoints New Managing Director
Smitha S. H. Haneef will serve as the new Managing Director for Harvard University Dining Services, Harvard Campus Services announced Monday.
City Councilors Call on Harvard to Extend Paid Leave Policy to Contracted Workers
Boston City Councilor At-Large Michelle Wu ’07 and a group of Cambridge city councilors urged Harvard to extend its paid leave policy to contracted workers in letters addressed to University President Lawrence S. Bacow on Dec. 11 and Jan. 9, respectively.
Harvard Security Guards Ratify One-Year Contract With Securitas
Harvard security guards ratified a temporary, year-long contract with third-party contractor Securitas on Dec. 30, 2020, maintaining healthcare benefits and securing a one-time bonus during the pandemic.
Ten Stories That Shaped 2020
The past twelve months were a year like no other for Harvard and the world. Under the backdrop of a once-in-a-century pandemic, students took classes from all over the globe, while pushing for social change at the University and on the political stage. Here, The Crimson reviews ten stories that defined 2020 at Harvard.
Job Insecurity, Union Negotiations Loom Large Amid Pandemic
Facing pressure from activists, Harvard extended guaranteed pay and benefits for directly-employed and contracted workers who were not able to work due to the pandemic through January 2021.
Harvard University Dining Services to Close Four Facilities, Lay Off Employees
The University will permanently close four Harvard University Dining Services facilities and lay off the dining workers at each location, according to Harvard Campus Services spokesperson Michael D. Conner.
Harvard President Bacow Defends Eliminating Pay for Most Idled Contract Workers
University President Lawrence S. Bacow doubled down on the University’s decision to stop compensating the majority of idled contract workers after Jan. 15.
Petition Demanding Harvard Pay Contracted Workers Garners 1,100 Signatures
More than 1,100 Harvard affiliates have signed a petition calling on the University to extend the same employment protections to contracted staff members that it offers its direct employees.
Custodians Call on Harvard to Guarantee Job Protections and Paid Leave for Contracted Workers
Members of Harvard’s custodial staff called on the University to guarantee it would not lay off workers in the spring in two rallies held last week, as institutions of higher education across the U.S. reckon with the economic crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
HR Head Encourages 'Scheduling Flexibility' for Harvard Staff on Election Day
Harvard Vice President for Human Resources Marilyn Hausammann wrote to administrators Friday to ensure managers provide “scheduling flexibility” to enable staff members to vote.
Harvard Police Officer Union Takes University to Arbitration Over Change in Work Schedule
The Harvard police officer union and the University will meet in arbitration on Dec. 18 to discuss a forthcoming change in officers’ patrol schedule that the union alleges is a violation of its collective-bargaining agreement.
HGSU-UAW Urges Harvard to Oppose Trump Visa Rule Change
Organizers for Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Automobile Workers are circulating a petition that calls on Vice Provost for International Affairs Mark C. Elliott and the Harvard International Office to act in opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed visa policy change for international students.
Grad Student Union Alleges Harvard Attempting to ‘Defund’ the Union by ‘Starving Out’ Resources
As it begins its first semester as a fully operational locale, Harvard’s graduate student union is alleging that the University is attempting to defund the union and impede its organizing by not deducting union dues for student workers, according to union president Brandon J. Mancilla.
Grad Student Union Formalizes First Local and Undergoes Restructuring After Settling on Contract
Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Automobile Workers underwent a series of restructuring processes after winning their first contract earlier this summer, officially establishing themselves as HGSU-UAW Local 5118.
Harvard Affiliates Protest Appeals Court Decision Eliminating Humanitarian Protections for Some Immigrants
Close to 75 people, including multiple Harvard affiliates, gathered in front of Government Center in Boston on Tuesday to protest a court ruling that allowed the Trump administration to end protections for approximately 300,000 immigrants shielded from deportation under the Temporary Protected Status program.
As Harvard Pilots Self-Administered COVID-19 Testing, Contracted Employees Decry Unequal Access
After the University announced last week it will require Harvard affiliates to undergo self-administered, unobserved COVID-19 testing, some contracted staff said they worry for their safety due to infrequent screening.
Cambridge Police Union Opposed Police Reform Bill on Social Media, Warning of ‘Purge’
Cambridge Police Patrol Officers Association— the union representing Cambridge Police Department officers — denounced a new police reform bill on Facebook last Wednesday, writing of a “purge that will come” if the bill is passed.
Grad Union Ratifies First-Ever Contract
After nearly two years of negotiations and more than five years of union organizing, members of Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Automobile Workers voted to ratify the union’s first contract with the University Tuesday.
Citing the Fall Term's 'Uncertainty,' Harvard Will Not Pursue Layoffs or Furloughs For Now
Harvard will not pursue layoffs or furloughs “at this time" because of “uncertainty” regarding the fall semester, Executive Vice President Katherine N. Lapp wrote in an email Tuesday to Harvard affiliates.
Harvard University Police Association
The Harvard University Police Association union’s contract is set to expire in late November, while the department is also undergoing an internal review of climate and culture.
Facing Uncertainty and Unemployment, Employees Express Concerns About Future of Working at Harvard
University employees across a broad range of fields said they were concerned they would be out of work and pay when the school’s extension of guaranteed pay and benefits comes to an end on June 28.