SEIU

Custodial staff at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are celebrating this week after winning a new contract with the university that promises wage increases and bonuses for nearly 600 employees.

Members of Harvard workers’ unions rallied Nov. 9 to show solidarity with the university’s custodians and security guards, who are in the midst of a contract negotiation.

The United States has seen 287 labor strikes since the start of 2021. Nationwide, groups from graduate students at universities to workers at major corporations have stepped off the job and onto the picket lines to speak out for requests like better working conditions.

Service Employees International Union 32BJ and the Maintenance Contractors of New England signed a two-year extension of their joint contract on June 16, with the aim of stabilizing the custodial workforce.