Harvard Design School Fabrication Lab Workers File for Unionization

Nearly 100 employees at the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Fabrication Lab filed for unionization on Oct. 4.

The group, which filed for unionization under the name Fabrication Workers United, would represent 87 student-workers at the GSD’s Fabrication Lab, which provides GSD faculty and students with equipment such as 3D printers and laser cutters. Student-workers in the lab service in roles like technical assistants who assist with projects and maintain machines.

University spokespeople declined to comment for this article.

According to Livia K. Miller — Fab Lab technical assistant and a graduate student at GSD — the group is currently filing as an independent union with the support of Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers but hopes to eventually merge with the union.

Fabrication Workers United, which began gathering support in September, filed with the National Labor Relations Board after approximately three-quarters of the unit had signed union cards.

At least 30 percent of a prospective unit must sign union cards before a workplace can file for unionization with the NLRB. A simple majority at the election on Nov. 12 will be required for the group to unionize.

Miller described the support as a “strong super majority.” Still, Miller said, the group tried to “move in silence” before filing.

Per Miller, in the weeks leading up to election, Fabrication Workers United is focusing on outreach to workers, encouraging them to support the unionization effort.

“We’re trying to get the word out, trying to make sure folks know where to go to vote,” Miller said. “Hopefully we’re able to have the conversations we need to have with people who are still on the fence or still have concerns, so that they feel good about casting a vote in November.”

Miller said the union’s largest priority is having a better avenue for communication.

“I think the biggest thing is just having a say in our workplace,” Miller said. “Right now, there’s no way for Fab Lab workers to express any kind of opinion or desire or tension.”

Another factor that “intensified things,” according to Miller, was budget cuts over the summer, which increased strain on workers.

“We were told that, due to budget cuts, all TAs would have to reapply for their jobs, which normally isn’t the case,” Miller said. “Then they reduce staffing of the 3D printers and laser cutters by 50 percent from two TAs per shift to only one, who is now responsible for twice as much.”

Still, Miller emphasized that the union was working from a “place of deep care and love.”

“We really care for our community, and having a union is the way that we can advocate for ourselves and our classmates better,” Miller said.

—Staff writer Aran Sonnad-Joshi can be reached at aran.sonnad-joshi@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @asonnadjoshi.

—Staff writer Sheerea X. Yu can be reached at sheerea.yu@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @_shuhree_.