Harvard students vote for unionization
A historic vote is taking place today at Harvard University, as students may ratify the university’s first graduate and undergraduate union, reported The Harvard Crimson.
The Harvard Graduate Students Union-UAW seeks ratification through a for-or-against vote. Eligible voters include graduate student research and teaching assistants. Uniquely, undergraduate teaching assistants are also eligible to vote.
This is unprecedented, as “no other union representing academic workers at a private university has ever included undergraduates in its election vote,” according to professor Gordon Lafer in the Harvard Crimson. New York University is currently the only private university with a graduate student union.
The historic vote began yesterday and continues today, creating excitement on campus about this unprecedented election. According to the Harvard Crimson, not everyone is enthusiastic. The deans of Harvard emailed graduate students about the election on Tuesday, and some sciences and engineering students are less supportive about unionization than social science and humanities students tend to be.
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