On 4/30/10 four workers in Widener received layoff notices. Three were HUCTW members. The union members laid off were working on digital photography and digital scanning projects, said to be the future of the Library. These latest layoffs come on top of at least *340 clerical union jobs* lost in the past year alone!
To protest these unnecessary and harmful cuts, and decry the ongoing abuse of Temps by Harvard, activists plan a picket during Harvard's Commencement Week.
We will highlight the case of Dennis Prater, pictured above at left, who was cycled through 3 different categories of Temp and LHT ("less than half-time") employment, even though the union contract says, "It is a fundamental ideal of the Harvard workplace that...the use of Temp and LHT workers should be exceptional and strictly limited, and never at the expense of regular employment. In other words, everyone who does regular Harvard work on a regular basis deserves the benefits of regular employment status." After ignoring the union contract by keeping Prater out of the union, and never giving him so much as one paid sick day, Harvard laid him off! Harvard Temps receive no meaningful benefits.
We will demonstrate against the layoffs and abuse of Temp employees on Wed., May 26, at 5 p.m., in front of Harvard's Holyoke Center, 1350 Mass. Ave., Cambridge.
ALL ARE INVITED TO COME AND HELP US STRIKE A BLOW FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS!
Please note that layoffs do not just reach the staffers, temporary workers, but long term exempt workers as well!
ReplyDeleteUnions could have saved positions by not taking raises, we all could have worked together both union and exempt and come up with a solution for all but greed, ignorance and one sided cold business from Mass Hall seemed to take presidence! Shame on all of the "in group" for not caring, only how the balance sheet looks, how about really looking at how the much higher ups are spending, ipads, expensive business trips, cell phones, what ever they want, lets really take a look at belt tightening!!!!! It is the old horray for me and toooooo bad for you! Someone really should look at the spending, they are really buying IPADS, are they necessary? I do not think so....ask the layed off or will be layed off!!!!!! It will never change....
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymouses,
ReplyDeleteYou're right, layoffs hurt many people, not just union members. However, union strength has, historically, been the way that employees have any protection against layoffs, work conditions or pay cuts that the employer wants to do. If we want to stop layoffs we have to expose Harvard's money and fight every layoff. Further, we have to demand that Harvard hire more workers as Harvard workers are currently barely treading paper in the massive workload increases that followed last summers' layoffs and early retirements.
As to not taking raises, the UAW took major concessions with the idea that it would save jobs at Ford, GM and Chrysler. WRONG!!! Those jobs are still getting cut. Concessions will not save jobs, only our actions in fighting for jobs, like the successful strike of Temple Nurses that just ended, can save our jobs!
I was laid off in July, 2009, along with the 274 others.
ReplyDeleteIn my case, I had several times received verbal assurance that, in case of layoffs, I would be transferred to another division in my Harvard unit. This was no secret. My colleagues were aware of the plan. (And after all, only two years before, I had been specifically sought out to fill a particular position in which I had demonstrated expertise.) But unbeknownst to me... their plans changed... and off I went into the void.