Harvards Dining Workers Reach Agreement With University

Harvard's Dining Workers Reach Agreement With University After months of tense negotiations, Harvard University dining workers have stepped off the picket line. The Boston-based union that represents Harvard’s dining workers, UNITE HERE Local 26, said it finalized an agreement with the university last week, the Harvard Crimson reported. After striking a tentative agreement on October 26, workers voted 583-1 to ratify the proposed contract the following day. The new agreement created a $35,000 minimum annual salary for full-time employees and will prevent any increases in health care copayments for the next five years. Union workers returned to work in the dining halls on Thursday, receiving a warm welcome from students, some of whom aided them in the strike, as they did so. Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time  0:00/Duration  0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type  LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time  -0:00  SharePlayback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedAudio TrackFullscreenThis is a modal window. This video is either unavailable or not supported in this browser Error Code: MEDIA_ERR_SRC_NOT_SUPPORTED Technical details : No compatible source was found for this media. Session ID: 2019-12-30:fa11b8874dc2a46a1023f492 Player Element ID: jumpstart_video_1 OK Close Modal DialogBeginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.PlayMuteCurrent Time  0:00/Duration  0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type  LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time  -0:00  Playback Rate1xFullscreenClose Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Read More: Why Jim Beam Workers Are On Strike Harvard’s dining hall workers were on a historic strikeâ€"the first in 30 years and the only one that has ever taken place during the academic yearâ€"since early October. Their demands included a pay hike and for the university to maintain its current health benefits package for employees. The agreement came after a day of picketing, in which more than 500 students walked out of class and staged a sit-in that lasted well into the night. At one point during the night, students and strikers joined hands to sing “We Shall Overcome.” This isn’t the first time this year an Ivy League worker has taken a stand against its elite employer. In June, Cory Meanfee, a dining hall worker at Yale, lost his job after breaking a stained glass window depicting slavery. He was given his job back in July after expressing remorse over his actions. Update: This story has been updated with the dining bargaining committee’s full vote on Tuesday afternoon.