As Strike Deadline Looms, Manning Says Grad Union's Title IX Demand Could Break Federal Law

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/4/18/manning-hgsu-strike/

By Hugo C. Chiasson and Elise A. Spenner, Crimson Staff Writers
21 hours ago

Harvard Provost John F. Manning ’82 pushed back Friday against a central demand of the University’s graduate student union, warning that a proposal to require third-party arbitration in Title IX cases could violate federal law.

In an email to affiliates co-signed by Executive Vice President Meredith L. Weenick ’90, Manning wrote that the Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers proposal would establish “distinct and separate set of non-discrimination, harassment, and anti-bullying processes” for union members — a system he said would conflict with both federal Title IX regulations and University policy requiring consistent procedures.

The message, sent four days before the union’s planned strike, reflects Harvard’s firm posture on several major sticking points in negotiations that have stretched more than a year.

Manning and Weenick also defended Harvard’s position on wages and union security, two issues that remain unresolved after 23 bargaining sessions. They described Harvard’s proposals of a 10 percent increase for salaried appointments as “in-line” with recent agreements, while rejecting the union’s demands to standardize research assistant base salaries and restructure other pay scales.

FULL story at link above.


The Harvard Graduate students Union-United Auto Workers represents more than 4,000 Harvard affiliates. | By Frank S. Zhou