Labor unions and allied organizations representing students, staff, researchers and faculty at Harvard University are holding a rally on 27 April on campus to raise awareness and support for the role workers at the university have in research and education on campus in the face of attacks on the university by the Trump administration.
The unions have supported Harvard’s stand against Donald Trump’s funding freezes and threats to the university and are calling on school leadership to work with them, including at the bargaining table, to uphold and support their work and safety.
Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration this past week to block a federal funding freeze of $2.2bn in grants, arguing the freeze violates its first amendment right of academic independence. Harvard officials also refused to comply with demands from the Trump administration that included the appointment of an outside overseer to ensure “diverse” viewpoints were being taught at the school amid threats to review $9bn in federal grants and contracts to Harvard.
Harvard enacted a university-wide hiring freeze in March 2025 in response to uncertainty over the Trump administration’s actions. The unions noted time caps on the number of years faculty are permitted to teach at Harvard, coupled with the hiring freeze, is resulting in the elimination of small language programs at the university and increases to class sizes.
“My colleagues, who teach everything from African history to physics to Chinese language courses, are beloved teachers and mentors. But many of them will lose their jobs and be deported at the end of this semester, and no one will be hired to replace them,” said Jules Riegel, a time-capped lecturer in history and literature at Harvard. “Many fields of study will vanish, and many languages simply won’t be offered.”
Alexis Miranda, a graduate worker at the Harvard School of Public Health, added research such as theirs on LGBTQ+ and racial disparities in breast cancer is among the most targeted for cuts by the Trump administration.
“As students and researchers, we need Harvard to step up and support the areas of research most targeted by the latest funding cuts, including LGBTQ+ health and racial disparities research, so that this vital work can continue,” Miranda stated.
The rally also includes a call for Harvard to protect the non-citizens at Harvard in student and worker roles and assert they have constitutional rights, as non-citizens are being targeted by the Trump administration with the revocation of student visas.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, international workers demonstrated their unwavering commitment to the Harvard community, ensuring its safety while risking their own lives and the wellbeing of their families. Now, it is the university’s turn to stand in solidarity with these individuals,” said Doris Reina-Landaverde, a custodian, shop steward of 32BJ SEIU, and a temporary protected status holder from El Salvador. “Today, 1.5 million temporary protected status beneficiaries – many of whom work tirelessly to uphold the safety and vibrancy of institutions like Harvard – face uncertainty and the potential loss of their status, just as international students do.”
Harvard was contacted for comment.
