Almost three weeks ago, Harvard, the schmanciest and richest college in America, let its low-wage dining hall workers go on strike. This move, we boldly said at the time, was very stupid. So how’s it going?
When the rich and fancy-ass school allowed these workers to go on strike, we—a sports blog written by morons who did not even go to Harvard—made four predictions about how this would play out. Let’s check in on those now.
PREDICTION: Harvard students will support the strikers.
NOW: Here is a photo of dozens of Harvard students currently occupying the lobby of a Harvard building in support of the strikers:
PREDICTION: The Harvard administration will look like greedy shits.
NOW: In the pages of today’s New York Times, no less!
PREDICTION: There will be lots of news stories contrasting the fact that Harvard has a $35 billion endowment with the fact that workers are asking for a minimum salary equal to one-one millionth of that amount.
NOW: This has indeed come to pass.
PREDICTION: Eventually the administration will be forced to strike a compromise favorable to the workers because they have much more to lose, particularly in the form of reputational value.
NOW: Harvard is still banging its head on the wall on this point—a union official tells us “Progress has been glacial at best.” And so the strikes, sit-ins, embarrassing condemnations by high profile figures, and public relations fiascoes continue.
YOU CAN’T WIN, SMART GUYS.