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Stephen Colbert accused of crossing Harvard picket line before event with Yo-Yo Ma cut short by alarm
Stephen Colbert and cellist Yo-Yo Ma went ahead with a Harvard event despite calls from striking graduate student workers to cancel, postpone or relocate it. The union accused them of crossing its picket line; the discussion was then cut short when a fire alarm sounded, though the cause is unknown and the union denied involvement.
The sold-out “Arts for Life’s Sake” discussion at Sanders Theatre was scheduled for 90 minutes but ended about 40 minutes in and did not resume. Around 50 protesters demonstrated outside, while the union sought higher pay, annual raises and stronger workplace protections, including an independent process for harassment complaints. Author John Green moved a separate Harvard appearance online and donated its proceeds to the union.
In short
- Colbert and Yo-Yo Ma proceeded with a Harvard event during a graduate workers’ strike.
- A fire alarm ended the discussion about 40 minutes into its scheduled 90 minutes.
- The union is seeking higher pay and stronger workplace protections.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Proceeding with the event can be defended as keeping a commitment to the audience and allowing a public discussion about the arts to go ahead, without implying a judgement on the workers’ dispute. Supporters might also argue that cancelling would not necessarily advance negotiations and that attendees should not be treated as responsible for Harvard’s employment policies.
The case against
The union’s case is that holding the event while workers were striking weakened the practical force of their picket and made it harder to draw attention to demands for fair pay and safer workplace protections. Colbert and Ma’s public standing gave them a chance to show solidarity by postponing or relocating the discussion, as another invited speaker did; proceeding could therefore be seen as placing the event’s schedule above workers’ collective action.
Explained simply
Harvard is a university in the United States, where graduate students often teach classes and support research while working towards advanced degrees. At Harvard, some of these workers are represented by a union, which negotiates with the university over pay and working conditions.
A picket line is a protest outside a workplace, often set up during a strike to draw attention to workers’ demands. People who attend an event despite a picket line may be accused of crossing it, a phrase that can signal a dispute over support for striking workers.
The dispute matters because it concerns both the workers’ ability to press for better pay and protections, and how universities and visiting speakers respond to a strike. Harvard events have drawn different responses: one author moved an appearance online and gave its proceeds to the union.