Harvard dining staff to go on strike

Harvard University Dining Services staff will go on strike after three months of contract negotiations with the university, The Boston Globe reports.

The workers are demanding an increase in pay to at least $35,000 annually, and that the university revoke its proposal to have workers assume more of their healthcare costs.

While a local union representative said that 70% of Harvard’s dining hall workers do not earn $35,000 unless they work overtime, Harvard University spokesperson Tania deLuzuriaga told the Boston Globe that the university’s wages are “highly competitive” and that the average dining hall worker earns nearly $22.00 an hour. deLuzariaga also said that the proposed healthcare plan has been accepted by unions that represent more than 5,000 employees across campus.

The workers plan to strike after Sept. 17 when their current contact, which contains a “no-strike” clause, expires.

Read the full story via The Boston Globe.