Michelle Wu Withdraws From Harvard Law Class Day as 36-Day Graduate Union Strike Disrupts Speakers
Updated
Updated · Harvard Crimson · May 27
Michelle Wu Withdraws From Harvard Law Class Day as 36-Day Graduate Union Strike Disrupts Speakers
14 articles · Updated · Harvard Crimson · May 27
Tuesday evening, Harvard Law told graduates that Boston Mayor Michelle Wu would not deliver Wednesday’s 2:30 p.m. Class Day address after the graduate student union asked her not to cross its picket line.
Wu’s office said she spent the past week seeking a compromise, including speaking virtually or acknowledging the strike from the podium, but HGSU-UAW said any participation would still violate the picket line.
Harvard Law has not named a replacement and instead will center the program on student award winners and Class Marshals; professor Naz Modirzadeh also withdrew for personal reasons, and staff honoree John Salsberg was dropped.
The disruption comes as HGSU-UAW’s strike enters its 36th day, with no deal reached in a fourth bargaining session last week and another session scheduled for May 29 while the union plans to keep picketing Commencement events.
A mayor sided with student strikers over Harvard. Is this a turning point for academic labor rights in America?
As student unions gain power, how will universities adapt to prevent campus-wide disruptions and attract future talent?
Is the current model of graduate education becoming financially unsustainable for both students and the universities themselves?