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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu withdrew from speaking at Wednesday's Class Day ceremony at Harvard Law School.
Wu, a Harvard Law graduate, pulled out of the event after the striking Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers asked her not to cross its picket line, the Harvard Crimson reported Tuesday night.
"We are writing to share the disappointing news that, in light of outreach from the HGSU-UAW graduate student union, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’12 has informed us that she will not be able to speak at Class Day tomorrow as originally planned," Harvard said in a message to graduating students Tuesday. "We look forward to welcoming her back to campus in the future."
The union, which represents over 4,000 graduate student workers at Harvard, went on strike in April as they negotiate a new contract. Student workers are demanding higher wages, legal and financial support for non-citizen members, and changes to the discrimination and harassment complaint process.
"As a stalwart advocate for the city of Boston, Mayor Wu has dedicated her tenure to making Boston a better city for its workers, its families, and its communities," HGSU-UAW said in a statement. "Her decision to stand with HGSU-UAW exemplifies a new generation of leadership, one that does not simply espouse values at a podium but demonstrates them in moments like this one. We are deeply grateful for her solidarity."
Wu's office sent a statement to WBZ NewsRadio Wednesday, saying, "The Mayor was honored to be invited to join the HLS Class Day celebrations and is deeply disappointed to not be able to attend. Since learning last week that there would be a picket line at the event, we made repeated efforts to reach a compromise with the union that would have enabled the Mayor’s participation, but were ultimately unsuccessful. The Mayor is a strong ally of the labor movement and believes in respecting picket lines, but wishes that the union had taken one of the many alternatives available. She sends her best wishes to the graduates and their families for a memorable and meaningful day worthy of their accomplishments."
Harvard also announced Tuesday that Professor Naz Modirzadeh, this year’s winner of the Albert M. Sacks-Paul A. Freund Award for Teaching Excellence, was unable to attend the Class Day ceremony because of a personal matter.
"In consideration of these unexpected circumstances, we will refocus the Class Day speaking program tomorrow more squarely on our student award winners and on remarks and tributes to be delivered by our Class Marshals," Harvard told students.
The Class Day ceremony took place one day before the main Commencement ceremony on Thursday. Harvard alum Conan O'Brien is scheduled to deliver the Commencement address to the Class of 2026.
HGSU-UAW plans to protest through the remainder of Commencement.