Harvard rejects graduate student workers’ demand for major pay hike as contract talks continue

Harvard University has rejected a proposal from its graduate student workers’ union seeking sweeping wage increases, offering instead more modest raises during a bargaining session held Tuesday. The development comes as contract negotiations between the university and the Harvard Graduate Student Union–United Auto Workers (HGSU-UAW) extend beyond a year, with union members currently voting in a strike authorization process.

According to reporting by The Harvard Crimson, the union had proposed a plan that would significantly raise pay for teaching fellows and eliminate the wage gap between teaching fellows (TFs) and research assistants (RAs). The proposal included a roughly 74% pay increase for teaching fellows, bringing their compensation in line with a 10-month research assistant salary, along with a 12% base salary increase and annual raises of 5%.

Harvard, however, countered with a more limited proposal — a 10% pay increase spread over four years, including nearly 3% in the first year and annual raises averaging around 2.5%.

Union says proposal fails to address pay disparity

Union leaders argue that the university’s offer does little to address the long-standing wage disparity between graduate student roles.

HGSU-UAW president Sara V. Speller described Harvard’s proposal as “the bare minimum,” saying the university’s framing of the union’s demand as a 74% raise ignores the fact that teaching fellows are currently underpaid relative to research assistants.

According to the union, the key issue is not simply a pay increase but correcting the structural pay gap between the two roles.

Under Harvard’s existing compensation system, graduate students generally receive about $50,000 annually during the first four years of their program. This typically includes two years of fellowship funding followed by two years of teaching fellowships, supplemented by salary top-ups and summer funding.

However, these additional supports expire after four semesters, and summer funding usually ends after four years. After that point, many graduate students rely primarily on teaching fellowships, which pay around $6,500 per course section, union representatives say.

Cost-of-living concerns raised by graduate workers

Members of the union bargaining committee say the university’s characterization of the wage proposal overlooks the reality of graduate student living costs.

Committee member Denish K. Jaswal argued that the “74 percent raise” figure reflects how low current pay levels are rather than an excessive demand.

She noted that some graduate workers currently earn salaries low enough to qualify for public assistance in the state and that pay levels fall below those offered to comparable workers at nearby institutions.

Other unresolved issues in negotiations

The union has also pushed for additional provisions in the contract, including an agency shop system, under which workers who choose not to join the union would still contribute fees that support collective bargaining and grievance processes.

Union representatives say such fees are necessary to maintain resources for defending graduate workers’ rights under the contract.

Meanwhile, the union has criticized Harvard for not responding to proposals submitted months earlier regarding protections for international and non-citizen workers, an issue that remains unresolved in negotiations.

The university has also resisted calls for third-party arbitration in grievance procedures, another key demand from the union.

Strike authorization vote underway

The dispute comes as union members vote in a strike authorization referendum, which would allow union leadership to call a strike if negotiations fail to produce a satisfactory agreement.

Union leaders say the outcome of Tuesday’s bargaining session may strengthen support for strike action among graduate workers if the talks continue to stall.
Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!