Harvard’s graduate student union says Stephen Colbert and cellist Yo-Yo Ma crossed its picket line to appear at a campus event on Thursday, an event that ended early when a fire alarm emptied the theater.
The Harvard Graduate Students Union (HGSU) has been on strike since October 27 over wages and workplace protections.
The union says it contacted both performers in advance, including through their labor organizations, SAG-AFTRA and the Boston Musicians’ Association, and urged them to cancel, postpone or relocate. Neither withdrew.
In its appeal, the union pointed to Colbert’s own record. According to Fox News, Colbert publicly supported striking Hollywood writers in 2023 and joined them on the picket line during the Writers Guild of America strike.
The sold-out discussion, titled “Arts for Life’s Sake,” was held at Sanders Theatre and was scheduled to run 90 minutes.
About 40 minutes in, a fire alarm sounded.
Colbert, Ma and the audience evacuated, and the discussion did not resume. Fox News does not report that Colbert was chased from the stage; the event ended because of the alarm, whose cause remains unclear.
Outside, about 50 protesters beat drums, sounded air horns, and chanted.
The union denied any role in the alarm, saying it was “unrelated to HGSU’s picketing activity” and that the union has “no knowledge of its cause.” It also criticized the two performers: “They continued the event inside without regard for the picket line, and refused to speak with union members as they left the event.”
Fox News’ report includes no comment from Colbert, Ma, their representatives, or Harvard.
Not every guest scheduled at Harvard made the same choice during the strike. Author John Green moved a scheduled Harvard appearance online to avoid crossing the picket line and donated the proceeds to the union. “They’re on strike and I had to move a thing to not cross a picket line,” Green said.
The union’s demands include annual pay of $55,000 for research assistants and about $45,000 for teaching fellows on 10-month appointments, plus 3% annual raises or cost-of-living adjustments.
It is also seeking an independent grievance process for harassment and discrimination complaints, help with legal fees in Title IX cases, guaranteed leave for visa delays or immigration emergencies, and a requirement that Harvard see a judicial warrant before cooperating with ICE.
