Labor Disputes Hit US Universities as Graduate Unions Strike and File Lawsuits

Graduate student workers at Harvard University went on strike on Oct. 27, marking their second walkout of the year following a 40-day strike in the spring. Roughly 4,000 members of the Harvard Graduate Student Union–United Auto Workers walked off the job after negotiations stalled over pay, harassment grievance procedures, and protections for international staff.

A similar conflict is brewing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where the graduate student union has established a Nov. 12 strike deadline. Representatives for the more than 3,000 members stated that contract talks are stuck on wages matching living costs, union protections, and safeguards for international workers.

At California State University, administrators secured tentative contract deals with five unions representing thousands of technical, operational, healthcare, and academic support staff. However, the system still faces potential disruption as the California Faculty Association conducts a strike authorization vote through Nov. 19 over workload, pay, and academic freedom.

Other higher education labor developments include a lawsuit by Tufts University to prevent the reinstatement of a professor terminated for sexual misconduct in his office. Meanwhile, the City Colleges of Chicago successfully avoided a strike by agreeing to a contract that covers cost-of-living raises, parental leave, and artificial intelligence safeguards.