Understanding HGSU-UAW Compensation

What is Harvard’s current compensation proposal for salaried PhD students? 

Harvard has proposed compensation increases for HGSU-UAW members that are consistent with market considerations. Harvard’s proposal also directly addresses a concern raised by HGSU-UAW related to pay parity between salaried Teaching Fellows and Research Assistants and adds an additional year to the contract. Highlights of Harvard’s latest proposal are outlined below.  For more details, please see the compensation proposal contract language.

Salaried Student Workers 

• Establishes a contractual minimum salary for RAs with no distinction between disciplines; 
• Provides a 15.9% (compounded) increase in minimum compensation for TFs and RAs over the life of the contract 
  • 6.1% increase* upon ratification of the contract (for salaried RAs this brings the new minimum annual salary for all disciplines to $51,972)
  • 3% on July 1, 2027
  • 3% on July 1, 2028
  • 3% on July 1, 2029
• *Teaching Fellows enrolled in a PhD program will receive an additional salary increase upon ratification to bring their contractual minimum salary rate into parity with that of Research Assistants. This additional increase addresses HGSU’s concerns regarding the financial security of PhD students who are teaching beyond their years of guaranteed funding, which is typically 5 years (see “guaranteed funding” section below).

Hourly Student Workers

• For all hourly student workers, a 13.6% increase to the contractual hourly minimum over the life of the contract (current minimum is $21.00)
  • $22.50/hour upon ratification of the contract (7.1% increase) 
  • $23.00/hour on July 1, 2027 (2.2% increase) 
  • $23.50/hour on July 1, 2028 (2.2% increase)
  • $24.00/hour on July 1, 2029 (2.1% increase) 

In general, what is the "guaranteed funding", i.e. compensation and benefits, for Harvard PhD students?

Approximately 60% of HGSU-UAW members are PhD students. Currently, PhD students receive as "guaranteed funding" compensation and benefits totaling at least $425,000 over a minimum of 5 years. This includes:

• grants covering full tuition ($31,000 per year)
• fully subsidized health insurance ($6,108 per year)
• living expense support (approximately $50,000 per year)
• other benefits  

What is living expense support for PhD students?

Living expense support, guaranteed to be approximately $50,000 a year, is provided to PhD students through stipends and guaranteed part-time employment as Teaching Fellows or Research Assistants.  

What is the proposed pay and pay structure for Teaching Fellows? 

Teaching Fellows (TFs) teach part time under the supervision of course heads (who hold formal teaching appointments) as an integral part of their training for their PhD. They assist faculty with course instruction, running sections, holding office hours, and grading. 

Under the University's proposed contract, salary rates for Teaching Fellows would be:

For the typical PhD Teaching Fellow in the humanities and social sciences in years 3 and 4, the living expense support, for example, for the year is made up of:

• $29,304 (salary - 14 hours per week teaching 2 classes for 2 semesters)
• Minimum of $22,656 (financial aid stipend that is not a part of the HGSU-UAW contract) 

What is the proposed pay and pay structure for Research Assistants? 

Research Assistants are appointed on an annual basis to perform research work under the supervision of a faculty member/principal investigator. Under the University's proposed contract, research assistant rates, which are a part of their living expense support for 20 hours a week would be: