One hundred fifty-one people, including union movement AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, were arrested at the rally, which union activists said represented an intensification of pressure exerted on Yale officials to end the strike.
Workers have been on strike for better pensions, wages and job security. According to The Harvard Crimson, Locals 34 and 35, the two major unions representing the striking workers, are pressing for, respectively, a four percent and a three percent increase in salaries for their members. The labor organization United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) took more than 300 students from 30 universities all over the U.S. to the rally.
"Basically we're just getting started," said Undergraduate Organizing Committee spokesperson Josh Eidelson, according to The Crimson. "There are going to be a lot of opportunities to take the action needed."