On Wednesday, April 29, Harvard Graduate Student Union (HGSU) members held a virtual press conference to demand for university support and the administration’s commitment to stable pay and benefits amidst the current coronavirus pandemic. They argued that, in order to fully devote themselves to their research for COVID-19 and to attain some financial stability in these uncertain times, Harvard must reach a contract for student workers.
“All we are asking is for the administration to demonstrate that they respect the work we do for Harvard by reaching a fair and equitable contract for student workers this spring,” says Inga Holmdahl, who researches the risk of COVID-19 among vulnerable populations at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “We need to have our full attention to focus on COVID-19 and how to get the world through the pandemic.”