Harvard undergraduate student workers expected to unionize
A sufficient number of eligible undergraduate student works, over fifty percent, reportedly signed union cards
This development means that the National Labor Relations Board will be able to conduct an election regarding unionization for the Harvard undergrads.
The Harvard Undergraduate Workers Union (HUWU), according to student newspaper The Harvard Crimson, recently estimated that a sufficient number of undergraduate student employees, over fifty percent, had signed union cards. This development means that the National Labor Relations Board will be able to conduct an election regarding unionization for the Harvard undergrads.
If the vote passes, the Crimson reports, HUWU will gain official recognition.
According to a HUWU FAQ document, the union seeks “workplace democracy,” and that they were motivated to unionize due to their “experiences ... with late or inconsistent pay, workplaces closing without advanced notice, unjust firings, no clear hiring process, and low wages in many jobs.”
Other union organizations that contain undergraduate students include The University of California System’s UAW 2865 union and the Student Workers of Columbia, also known as “UAW 2710.”
Campus Reform has been tracking the trend in recent years of increased graduate student unionization efforts, including The University of Iowa’s (UI) Campaign to Organize Graduate Students last year, and The Alaskan Graduate Workers Association exploration of unionization earlier this year.
Workplaces on Harvard’s campus that will have employees eligible to join HUWU include “Harvard’s libraries and cafes, the Queen’s Head Pub in Memorial Hall, the Office of BGLTQ+ Student Life, The Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, and the Women’s Center.”
One organizer of the Harvard Undergraduate Workers Union, Syd Sanders, also owns the title of Maine’s first transgender high school valedictorian.
All relevant parties were contacted for comment by Campus Reform. This article will be updated accordingly.
