The Harvard Academic Workers Union, which represents researchers and nontenure-track faculty, began its strike Tuesday morning, according to union members who gathered at the university's Science Center Plaza. The walkout comes as the Harvard Graduate Students Union enters its second week on strike, having launched its action on Oct. 28.

The coordinated job action is aimed at bringing the academic arm of the university to a halt, as economic and political pressures continue to drive bargaining negotiations. Union members have said they are seeking better pay, protections, and working conditions.

"We're not asking for the moon," said Rose Marie Wagner, a member of the Harvard Academic Workers Union, speaking through a bullhorn during Tuesday's demonstration.

The dual strikes mark an escalation in labor tensions at the Ivy League institution, which has faced growing scrutiny over its treatment of contingent academic workers. The academic workers union was formed in 2024, organizing researchers and nontenure-track faculty who often work on short-term contracts with limited job security.

The strike has already begun to disrupt campus life. Last week, an event featuring Stephen Colbert and Yo-Yo Ma at Harvard was cut short by a fire alarm as demonstrators chanted outside.

University officials have not publicly commented on the expanded strike. Bargaining negotiations between the unions and Harvard administration are ongoing.

The two unions together represent a significant portion of Harvard's academic workforce. Graduate students and academic workers play a central role in teaching undergraduates and conducting research, and a prolonged strike could affect classroom instruction and laboratory work.

The labor action comes amid broader economic pressures facing higher education, including declining enrollment, rising costs, and political attacks on universities from conservative lawmakers. Harvard has also faced scrutiny over its endowment and federal funding, issues that have become flashpoints in the negotiations.

The strike is one of several labor actions across the region in recent weeks, reflecting a wave of organizing among academic workers and other service-sector employees. Small grocers across New England have also reported supply chain disruptions as a separate strike involving warehouse workers continues.

For the Harvard community, the dual strikes represent a significant challenge to university operations and a test of the administration's willingness to meet workers' demands. Union members have vowed to remain on the picket line until a fair contract is reached.