We are writing with an update on the evolving situation around government attacks on Harvard’s financial stability, the impacts on our staff, and how Union leaders are working to protect and support HUCTW members during this time.
Update on Federal Government Challenges to Harvard
As you know, Harvard has suffered a severe financial blow following the U.S. government’s abrupt termination of all federal research funding—a loss of over $700 million per year. This unprecedented withdrawal has inflicted serious harm and continues to pose significant risks—not only to the University’s vital research, but also to the employment security of Harvard staff.
In addition to the research funding cuts, in July, the federal government enacted new legislation imposing an 8% tax on realized capital gains (the profits from investment sales) from Harvard’s endowment. The Trump administration continues to threaten Harvard’s non-profit status and its capacity to sponsor visas for international students, who are critical members of our community and also contribute roughly 30% of the University’s total tuition revenue.
Update on Harvard’s Response to the Attacks
In response to these challenges, Harvard has so far filed two lawsuits against the Trump administration and they are proceeding through the courts. Despite judges so far ruling in Harvard’s favor in the case around international student visa sponsorship rights, the Trump administration is not fully complying with judges’ orders and international student enrollment is down due to denied visas or fear of visa revocation. The case around federal research funding will begin this month.
As we shared in earlier updates, following pressure from HUCTW and many others in the community, Harvard committed $250 million from its central reserves to support affected research activities. The University then distributed these funds across its schools and major administrative units, giving each local body broad discretion in how to allocate its share—sometimes supplemented by the school’s own reserves. As a result, the scale and timing of impacts vary widely across the University and depend heavily on each school’s financial health, dependence on federal funds, and leadership decisions.
Impacts on HUCTW Members
Overall, this infusion of central and local funding has helped prevent some job cuts, but unfortunately, job losses have still occurred. Staff at all levels have been affected, including approximately 1–2% of HUCTW members. In some schools, there may still be additional layoffs, unless there is further financial intervention from the University.
The majority of layoffs affecting HUCTW members have occurred at the two Harvard schools that are the most dependent on federal research funds: the Harvard Medical School and the T.H. Chan School of Public Health. A much smaller number of layoffs have taken place in several other schools, such as the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kennedy School, where there is some reliance on federal funds and where administrators are also concerned about the drop in international student enrollment and other looming government threats to school finances.
Steps HUCTW Leaders are Taking to Preserve Employment
At the School Level
In response to these challenges, HUCTW leaders have been working intensively to protect the jobs of our members. When a school proposes a layoff, it must first engage in a detailed consultation process with Union leaders where we examine the decision-making process and departmental budgeting, and seek every possible alternative to the proposed layoffs.
Through these discussions, HUCTW leaders have successfully stopped some layoffs outright. In other cases, discussions have led to schools offering an affected staff member the choice of a new position at the school or a layoff package. We’ve also been able to help some laid-off HUCTW members find new jobs at other Harvard schools, as more jobs are posted despite the hiring freeze.
As part of our work to prevent layoffs, we are consistently pressing departments to answer key questions, such as:
- What specific funding has been lost, and is all the work supported by those funds being eliminated?
- If the work continues in some form, why can’t the HUCTW member continue to perform that work?
- Are there vacant or understaffed positions that could be repurposed to preserve jobs?
- Can temporary or LHT (less-than-half-time) workers be replaced by laid-off union staff?
- Have all potential alternative funding sources been pursued?
- What is the broader budgetary and staffing picture across other projects or departments?
We’re working closely with HR departments to ensure that, in keeping with our contract, laid-off HUCTW members are given hiring priority for any positions for which they qualify and that all job reinstatement rights are followed. We’re also partnering with members and their Work Security case managers to develop personalized strategies for re-employment—both within and beyond the University. In some departments, where no layoffs have occurred but where members have reached out with concerns about the future, we’ve been organizing group conversations to support proactive efforts to protect jobs—through early planning, collective action, and creative problem-solving.
At the University Level
Vector of a multiethnic group of diverse people men and women standing together
In addition to our work at the school and department levels, we are actively engaging with senior University leadership—including HR and financial deans, vice presidents, and directors—urging bold and immediate action to preserve research and protect employment.
We are also working with our fellow campus unions to find ways that we can collaborate and support each other in protecting workers and preserving employment.
As we said in a previous communication, it’s a very positive step that the University committed $250 million to help the schools address some of the financial impacts, and we are encouraged to see schools actively exploring alternative sources of research support. But we believe more can be done. Despite the financial damage inflicted on our institution, Harvard still has access to billions in central reserves (in addition to unrestricted endowment funds), and we continue to press University leaders to draw more deeply on those resources to safeguard research and jobs as Harvard’s lawsuits against the Trump administration proceed.
We will continue to keep you informed and encourage you to reach out with questions, thoughts, and concerns. You can write to your HUCTW organizer or you can write to huctw.info@huctw.org. Anything you share with us is confidential.
We know this continues to be a challenging and uncertain time—but through the solidarity and strength of our membership, and with persistent advocacy and creativity, we are fighting to preserve as many jobs as possible, to help affected staff secure new positions, and to ensure that every HUCTW member receives the support they need during this difficult time.
Thank you,
HUCTW