Teacher Strike At Tufts University

MEDFORD, MA — 121 full-time Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences launched a two-day strike Monday morning.

According to Services Employees International Union Local 509, the strike is a result of more than 10 months of a stalled contract negotiation with the University. The teachers took a strike authorization vote last week, and 94% of the staff voted in favor of taking action. The Union added that a lack of a cost-of-living adjustment to Tufts’ 2.5% merit raise is considerably lower compared to colleges of similar standing.

Department of Urban & Environmental Policy and Planning Lecturer Pen Loh said the low salaries make living within an hour of the University’s campus financially impossible.

“We need a minimum of a 3.5% raise annually, along with an initial cost-of-living adjustment to ensure we can focus on supporting our students instead of worrying about our bills,” Loh said. “We also need a reduction in our unmanageable workloads that will let us continue to deliver the high-quality education Tufts promises."

Tufts expressed its plan for all other classes and proceedings to take place as they normally would during the strike, and that both sides have negotiated in good faith throughout the process thus far.