06/05/2026
On May 28, hundreds of UE Local 256 (MIT-GSU) members held a rally demanding that MIT administration settle a fair contract with them. They were joined by members of SEIU Local 32BJ who are also in the middle of negotiations. Both locals are fighting for fair wage increases, healthcare coverage, and protections for immigrant workers.
“While we have come to the table with numerous proposals to improve life for grad workers, the Institute has thus far refused to substantively engage with and respond to our proposals,” said Local 256 Contract Action Team member Rohil Agarwal.
In a press release before the rally, Local 256 members said that the university administration has attempted to use contract negotiations as an opportunity to limit the local’s ability to function. MIT administrators are pushing to make the university a “Right-to-Work” campus.
“MIT has said outright that they want to follow the lead of right-to-work states. This is something that goes back to the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King talked about how ‘right-to-work’ is a false slogan that deprives us of our civil rights,” said Local 256 Vice President Nadia Zaragoza. “We shouldn’t take this attack lightly, and we’re ready to fight back!”
