Harvard University graduate students initiated their second strike of the year on Tuesday, disrupting classes and research in an effort to advance contract negotiations with university leadership. The walkout involves more than 4,000 student workers represented by a union affiliated with the United Auto Workers since 2018.

The dispute centers on three primary demands: safer working conditions, increased and equitable pay, and protections allowing students to remain in their academic positions. The graduate student union, comprised of roughly 60 percent PhD candidates, seeks pay parity between teaching fellows and research assistants, raising total annual support to $55,000, along with an annual 3 percent raise or cost-of-living adjustments. Currently, graduate student workers receive around $50,000 in support and guaranteed subsidized health insurance.

In addition to compensation concerns, union members are calling for improved workplace safety, with particular focus on noncitizen students. Their demands include securing immigration document confidentiality, guaranteed leave for visa-related issues, and timely notification if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are present on campus, contingent upon judicial warrants.

Negotiations between union representatives and Harvard officials have stalled despite more than 50 bargaining sessions. The previous strike lasted 40 days earlier this year, concluding as the university entered its summer break, though it had caused significant disruptions, including during commencement ceremonies attended by Mayor Michelle Wu.

Tuesday’s strike activities began with a rally on the Science Center Plaza, featuring the union’s symbolic inflatable rat and picket lines with chants and signs highlighting Harvard’s substantial endowment. Union vice president Evan Lemire, a fifth-year PhD student, pointed to the university’s multi-billion-dollar endowment as a backdrop to their demands. The strike also featured a parade that progressed through Harvard Yard to the Massachusetts House, where union members delivered a letter to University President Alan Garber’s office.

The union organizes strike pay for participants and relies on volunteers to manage picket duties. Compared to earlier actions, Tuesday’s strike demonstrated increased organization and larger turnout, signaling renewed determination for contract progress.

While some partial agreements on less contentious issues were reached during prior summer talks, the core concerns remain unresolved. Both sides continue to engage in negotiations, though the impasse underscores ongoing tensions about working conditions and compensation for Harvard’s graduate student workforce.