The workers of the Graduate Labor Organization-AFT proudly stand with our comrades at the Harvard Graduate Student Union-UAW during their open-ended strike. We are profoundly inspired by their decision to strike to protect their members and the high quality education and research that they provide.

Over the last fifteen months, “Harvard administration has refused to negotiate on several key issues, including: real recourse against harassment, discrimination, and bullying; cost of living adjustments; and noncitizen worker protections. Just one day after [their] contract expiration, on 6/30/2025, the Harvard administration unilaterally—and in violation of [their] collective bargaining agreement—carved out almost 1,000 student workers from their union eligibility.”

Graduate workers at Harvard and Brown share the same struggles. We are both facing university administrations that are fighting to weaken the power of our unions during contract negotiations. We are both facing administrations that want to deny us accountability when our members are harassed and discriminated against. Both administrations have fought to prevent workers from accessing the protections they need in our contracts.

We reject the notion that these institutions cannot give us cost-of-living raises.

We reject the notion that their policy supersedes a union contract.

We reject the claim that Fellows are not workers.

However long it takes for HGSU to win their strike, we will be standing with them in solidarity. Harvard and Brown can easily meet our reasonable demands, but it’s only when we take action together that they start to listen. We are proud to be a part of the same fight for justice and dignity in higher education.

Solidarity, always.