BREAKING: MIT Police Association protests against zero-raise contract
The MIT Police Association stationed a billboard truck directly across from Family Weekend festivities
Levy Le–The Tech
A billboard truck demanding a fair contract and pay for the MIT Police Association was stationed in front of Lobby 7 on Oct. 23, greeting attendees of MIT’s annual Family Weekend. The truck also displayed the salaries and raises of key MIT executives, such as president Sally Kornbluth, executive vice president and treasurer Glen Shor, and police chief John DiFava.
Several members of the Police Association distributed flyers at the crosswalk in front of Lobby 7 to inform the MIT community of the contract details.
The flyers explained that after several rounds of negotiations with MIT, the university has offered a three-year contract with zero wage raise for the first year and no guarantees for adjustments on the following two years. They also claim that the contract MIT presented to the MIT Police Association “demonstrates a clear lack of respect for the men and women who protect the community every day,” citing a 11% increase in healthcare costs by 2027 and a 16% average raise on MIT executives salaries since 2024 as reasons to take their message to the streets.
The act was organized to inform the MIT community about this ongoing dispute and its impact on officers and public safety. In compliance with MIT rules, the union's attorney notified the university 48 hours before its start.
In an email to The Tech, media consultant for the association Melissa Sullivan shared that the police officers have been working without a contract since July and remain understaffed.
Sullivan shared that the truck will be circling around the MIT campus on Massachusetts Avenue until 4 p.m. on Oct. 24.