Harvard janitors and security guards rally for fair wages
Here we go again.
Just a week after the end of last week’s dining services workers' strike, Harvard University janitors and security guards rallied to draw attention to their union’s ongoing negotiations with the university, reported The Harvard Crimson.
According to The Crimson, around 60 janitors and guards and their union 32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU), inspired by the dining services workers' strike, rallied the afternoon of Oct. 31. Workers marched from the Smith Campus Center through Harvard Square and Harvard Yard, some wearing purple SEIU shirts and some their Halloween costumes. The rally ended up at Massachusetts Hall, where union Higher Education Division Director, Jason Faria, spoke to workers about the progress of the negotiations.
“Broadly speaking, the main bread and butter issues are fair wage increases to keep up with the rising cost of living, maintaining affordable family health care, and ensuring adequate funds for retirement,” SEIU spokesperson Eugenio H. Villasante told The Crimson.
It remains to be seen whether negotiations will be successful, or whether the university will have a second strike on its hands.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate