Photo: Jay Willet/WBZ NewsRadio
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Harvard graduate students entered their third day on strike Thursday, and with no quick resolution in sight, some undergrads are starting to worry about how it will affect the classroom.
The Harvard Graduate Student Union is demanding better pay and benefits. “We tried to have faith in the bargaining process, but, after 14 months, it has become clear that our only option is to strike,” said Evan Lemire, PhD Candidate in Population Health Sciences and union Executive Board member said in a statement. “Our work is not sustainable and our community is not safe without the protections we are advocating for. Harvard must understand that the university is built on our labor, and that labor is not guaranteed.”
The ongoing demonstrations have canceled classes and stalled research.
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Sarah, a third-year undergraduate student, is among those to have classes canceled this week. But she supports the graduate workers, especially those making hourly pay. She wants to see them get their pay raised to $25 an hour.
"I feel really frustrated with the administration," she said. "Just have a conversation about solutions."
With final exams right around the corner, Mike, another undergrad student who supports the grad workers, says he wishes he wasn't missing class time towards his degree.
"I think they can put something, you know, whether it be in their contract. I don't know how that looks."
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports.