Labor
UAW President Urges Harvard Not to ‘Cave’ to Trump Admin at IOP Forum
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain called on Harvard to stand up against the Trump administration’s attacks on federal funding at an Institute of Politics forum on Monday.
Harvard Grad Union Agrees To Bargain Without Ground Rules
Harvard’s graduate student union agreed to negotiate its third contract with the University without ground rules on Friday, after the two sides were unable to agree on policies for bargaining observation.
Harvard, Union Hash Out Immigration Policies Amid National ICE Raid Wave
Harvard agreed to provide non-tenure-track employees with paid leave during immigration proceedings, but declined to commit to sponsoring legal permanent residency applications in a contract counter proposal presented on Monday.
Parents, Staff Ask CPS To Budget for More Paraprofessional Staffing, But Superintendent Is Skeptical
Cambridge Public Schools parents and staff advocated for increased paraprofessional staffing — with no success — at a Tuesday School Committee meeting on the district’s fiscal year 2026 budget.
As Contract Negotiations Begin, Harvard and Grad Students’ Union Are Still Debating Bargaining Rules
Harvard and its graduate student union remain stuck in a dispute over bargaining observation rules nearly a month after negotiations for their third contract were set to begin.
At Harvard, Grad Student Parents Navigate a Patchwork of Programs To Keep Up With Costs
Harvard has increased graduate student compensation to keep pace with rising costs of living. But many students still struggle with the costs of raising a family — whether because of scattered resources and program eligibility requirements at Harvard, or sky-high prices in Cambridge.
Harvard Freezes Hiring Amid Anxiety Over Trump
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 announced a University-wide staff and faculty hiring freeze in a message to Harvard affiliates Monday morning, citing uncertainty under the Trump administration.
Harvard, Graduate Student Union Clash Over Bargaining Observation
Negotiations for the Harvard graduate students union’s third contract got off to a rocky start last week, when University officials canceled the first bargaining session just hours before it was scheduled to begin over a dispute about meeting attendance.
Harvard Students Walk Out of Class To Protest Time Caps for Academic Workers
More than 200 Harvard affiliates rallied outside University Hall on Tuesday afternoon to protest time caps for non-tenure-track faculty, amid an extended campaign by the campus academic workers’ union to end the practice.
Non-Tenure Track Faculty Deliver Petition on Time Caps to Harvard President Garber
Non-tenure-track faculty delivered a petition with almost 1,400 signatures calling for an end to time caps to top Harvard officials on Thursday as the group’s new union bargains for its first contract with the University.
Unionized Workers At Mass General Brigham Withdraw Unfair Labor Practice Charge
Residents and fellows at Mass General Brigham withdrew a labor complaint that alleged the hospital system had retaliated against them for unionizing by removing stipends.
Boston Doctors Lead the Medical Unionization Wave
After more than a year of negotiations over their first contract, residents at Mass General Brigham sensed growing momentum for a strike action in January.
Researchers, Educators Rally in Downtown Boston To Protest Trump’s Research Funding Cuts
More than 300 researchers and educators rallied outside the John F. Kennedy Federal Building in downtown Boston on Wednesday to protest President Donald Trump’s attempted cuts to federal funding for research.
Harvard Offers Just Cause Protections to Unionized Undergraduate Workers
At the Monday session, the first of 2025, members of Harvard Undergraduate Workers Union-United Auto Workers — which represents 400 student workers in non-academic jobs — presented proposals to extend grievance filing deadlines, guarantee minimum work schedules, and alter employment letters.
Mass General Brigham Announces Mass Layoffs for Administrative Employees
Mass General Brigham announced layoffs for hundreds of administrative and management employees on Monday in anticipation of a $250 million budget gap, an unprecedented decision for Massachusetts’ largest private employer.
In Major Year for Labor, Five Campus Unions Head to Bargaining Table
More than 10,500 Harvard workers, represented by five unions, will negotiate new contracts with the University in 2025, setting the stage for a remarkable year in Harvard labor relations.
Harvard Offers To Remove Time Caps for Preceptors in Union Negotiations
Harvard has agreed to end term limits on preceptor positions as part of a bargaining proposal offered to Harvard’s union for non-tenure-track faculty at a bargaining session on Thursday, walking back a firm line against changing the structure of academic employment.
Graduate Students’ Union Withdraws Unfair Labor Practice Charge Alleging Encampment Surveillance
Harvard’s graduate student union withdrew a labor complaint that accused the University of violating workers’ rights during the spring pro-Palestine encampment last month, citing concerns about changes to the U.S. labor board under the Trump administration.
Graduate School of Education Lecturer Sues Harvard Over Monthly Payments
Harvard Graduate School of Education adjunct lecturer Kimm Topping filed a class-action lawsuit against Harvard in January, alleging the University paid them less frequently than required by Massachusetts law.
Graduate Students’ Union Weighs Bargaining Priorities Ahead of Third Contract Negotiation
Harvard graduate student union organizers presented articles for the union’s third contract in a general membership meeting on Thursday, the first major step toward bargaining with the University later this semester.
After Boston-Area Tatte Workers Forced To Resign Over Paperwork Gaps, Experts See Larger Problem
Tatte Bakery & Cafe has forced roughly 60 Boston-area workers to resign after discrepancies in their paperwork cast doubt on their legal authorization to work in the U.S.
Beth Israel Medical Center Residents and Fellows Vote to Unionize
Residents and fellows at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center voted to unionize with 83 percent in favor on Wednesday, joining the Service Employees International Union’s Committee of Interns and Residents.
Union Contract Negotiations Stall for Residents and Fellows at Mass General Brigham
Residents and fellows at Mass General Brigham began federal mediation with the hospital system last week to settle their first union contract, reaching a deadlock after 13 months of negotiations.
Cambridge Public Library Staff Sign New Contract After Year of Negotiations
The Cambridge Public Library Staff Association ratified a new three-year contract with the City of Cambridge on Wednesday after a year of bargaining, which had stalled for months over wage increases.
Harvard’s Derek Bok Center Lays Off 5 Employees Under New Faculty Director
The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning quietly laid off at least five employees over the past two weeks as part of a restructuring effort, reducing its total staff by almost 25 percent.