Stephen Colbert, who publicly supported striking Hollywood writers in 2023, was accused of crossing a union picket line Thursday to join famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma at a Harvard University event that was abruptly cut short by a fire alarm.
Members of the Harvard Graduate Students Union, which has been on strike since Oct. 27, had urged Colbert and Ma to cancel, postpone or relocate the appearance in solidarity with workers seeking higher wages and stronger workplace protections. The union said it contacted both performers in advance, including through their respective labor organizations, but neither withdrew from the event.
The alarm sounded roughly 40 minutes into the sold-out event at Sanders Theatre, forcing Colbert, Ma and audience members to evacuate, according to Harvard Magazine. The discussion, titled “Arts for Life’s Sake,” had been scheduled to last 90 minutes but did not resume.
About 50 union protesters demonstrated outside the theater before and during the event, beating drums, sounding air horns and chanting slogans demanding better pay and working conditions, the outlet reported.
The cause of the fire alarm remains unclear, and the union denied any involvement.
“The alarm was unrelated to HGSU’s picketing activity and we have no knowledge of its cause,” the union said in a social media statement, adding that members were relieved no one inside was at risk.
The union is seeking annual pay of $55,000 for research assistants and approximately $45,000 for teaching fellows on 10-month appointments, along with 3% annual raises or cost-of-living adjustments.
Other demands include an independent grievance process for harassment and discrimination complaints, legal fee assistance in Title IX cases and financial support for workers who need to leave unsafe laboratory environments.
The union is also seeking protections for sensitive immigration documents, guaranteed leave for visa delays or immigration emergencies, and a requirement that Harvard notify the union if Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrive on campus. It also wants the university to require a judicial warrant before cooperating with ICE.
The union had highlighted Colbert’s support for the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, during which he joined striking Hollywood workers on the picket line, in its appeal for the performers to reconsider their appearance.
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In a statement, the union said it had repeatedly urged Colbert and Ma to avoid crossing its picket line, including through their respective labor organizations, SAG-AFTRA and the Boston Musicians’ Association.
“They continued the event inside without regard for the picket line, and refused to speak with union members as they left the event,” the union said. “In other words — they crossed our picket line.”
Author John Green, meanwhile, moved a scheduled Harvard appearance online to avoid crossing the graduate student union’s picket line.
“They’re on strike and I had to move a thing to not cross a picket line,” Green said in a video shared by the union. “Which was an easy decision … it was not a hard decision for me.”
Green also donated proceeds from the event to the union, according to The Boston Globe.