HGSU
Marjorie Decker Survives Democratic Primary Race; Evan MacKay ’19 Concedes After Recount
State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker won the 25th Middlesex Democratic primary after progressive challenger Evan C. MacKay ’19 conceded the race on Thursday.
Harvard’s Graduate Union Installs Third New President in Less Than 1 Year
Sara V. Speller, the former vice president of Harvard’s graduate union, assumed the presidency in late July after her predecessor stepped down, becoming the union’s third leader in less than a year.
Harvard Violated Contract With HGSU in Excluding Some Grad Students, Arbitrator Rules
An arbitrator ruled Friday that Harvard violated its 2021 contract with the Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers by excluding lab-based psychology Ph.D. students from the union.
Harvard’s Academic Workers Unionized. But in a Year of Labor Ups and Downs, How Did They Win?
Harvard’s cohort of unionized student workers nearly doubled over the past year. The largest successful union — Harvard Academic Workers-United Auto workers — now represents more than 3,000 non-tenure-track faculty. Ahead of its first contract, the group is taking aim at the very structure of academic employment.
Grad Student Union Files Unfair Labor Practice Charges Against Harvard Over Encampment Response
Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers filed unfair labor practice charges against Harvard on Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that the University’s response to the pro-Palestine encampment in Harvard Yard violated the rights of student workers.
Nearly 500 Graduate Students Petition Harvard to Not Restrict Emergency Fund Access
Nearly 500 members of the HGSU-UAW signed a petition calling on Harvard to not limit graduate student emergency fund eligibility, which was delivered to top administrators in Mass. Hall during a Wednesday rally.
Harvard Law School Academic Workers Vote 62-3 To Unionize
Harvard Law School clinical workers voted 62-3 on Wednesday in favor of unionizing under Harvard Academic Workers-United Auto Workers.
Former HGSU-UAW President Launches Campaign for State Representative
Evan C. MacKay ’19 launched a campaign for Middlesex District State Representative on Dec. 7 after stepping down as the president of Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers.
Interim President Garber’s Uneasy Relationship With Harvard Unions
When longtime Harvard Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 suddenly became interim president earlier this month, the powerful but largely invisible administrator was unfamiliar to most Harvard affiliates.
Bailey Plaman Steps Into Role of HGSU-UAW President
Bailey A. Plaman assumed the presidency of the Harvard Graduate Student Union-United Auto Workers late last year after former HGSU-UAW president Evan C. MacKay ‘19 stepped down to run for public office.
GSAS Raises Ph.D. Stipends to $50,000, Answering Grad Union Call for Living Wage
Ph.D. students in Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences will be paid at least $50,000 in program stipends, increasing most stipends by more than 10 percent, GSAS Dean Emma Dench announced in an email Monday.
Dozens Resign from Harvard Grad Union Over Response to Hamas Attacks and Jewish, Israeli Student Concerns
More than 30 members of Harvard’s graduate student union resigned since Thursday, criticizing the union’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and stating the union “repeatedly ignored” concerns raised by Jewish and Israeli members.
Harvard Grad Union Endorses BDS and Calls for Ceasefire, Drawing Member Criticism
Harvard’s graduate student union voted on Friday to endorse national union statements supporting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement against Israel and calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Harvard Grad Union Requests Mid-Contract Negotiations Over Wages
Halfway into a four-year contract, Harvard’s graduate student union has asked the University to formally reopen contract negotiations over demands for higher wages.
Harvard, Grad Union At Odds Over Legal Defense Fund for Student Workers Amid Request For $17,000
In 2021, Harvard’s graduate student union won a key concession in the creation of a $100,000 fund to cover the legal expenses of graduate students “relating to their working conditions at the University.” Now, the union and Harvard’s Office for Labor and Employee Relations remain at odds over how to administer the fund.
Harvard Grad Union Members Mixed on New University-Wide Policies on Bullying and Discrimination
Some members of Harvard’s graduate student union said the University’s first anti-bullying and non-discrimination policies, released last month, did not reflect some of the union’s proposed changes for a broader definition of “bullying” and greater “neutrality” in the University’s resolution process.
Harvard Grad Student Union Votes to Affiliate with Undergraduates Seeking Union Recognition
Members of Harvard’s graduate student union voted at a meeting Tuesday to affiliate with undergraduate student workers currently collecting union cards for official recognition.
Psychology Graduate Students Dispute Ineligibility for Union Benefits
Amid calls for coverage under union benefits, graduate students in Harvard’s psychology department have found themselves at odds with their departmental leadership.
Harvard Graduate Student Union Alleges Comaroff’s Return to Teaching Violates Contract
Harvard’s graduate student union filed a grievance against the University last month, alleging contract violations due to Professor John L. Comaroff’s return to teaching at the University.
Harvard Grad Student Union Protests Comaroff’s Return to Teaching After Sexual Harassment Findings
Returning from two years of administrative leave for allegations of sexual and professional misconduct, Harvard professor John L. Comaroff stood up to begin his first class back on campus Tuesday afternoon.
Hundreds Rally Against Harvard’s Handling Comaroff Sexual Harassment Claims
Students rallied in support of sexual harassment survivors in the wake of a lawsuit charging that Harvard mishandled sexual misconduct allegations against professor John L. Comaroff.
Harvard’s Graduate Student Union Files Complaint Over Spring Covid Policies
Harvard’s graduate student union presented University leaders with a list of grievances about the school's updated spring Covid-19 protocols last week, calling for free high-quality masks and expanded testing.
Ten Stories That Shaped 2021
At Harvard, 2021 was a year marked by change. The school’s long-awaited return to in-person operations injected new life into a campus that had been left dormant for over a year by Covid-19. And in an unexpected shift, the University announced its intention to divest its endowment from fossil fuels after a decade of public pressure. Separately, faculty controversies — including a federal conviction and a high-profile departure — ignited debates that rippled across academia. Below, The Crimson looks back at the 10 stories that shaped the last year at Harvard.
Kennedy School Students Pen Dueling Letters to Visa on Payment Policies to Adult Websites
More than 500 Harvard affiliates signed on to an open letter to Visa CEO Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., urging the company to adopt policies they argue will curb the spread of illegal pornographic materials.