New Yale Contracts Avert Strike

A second walkout by 2500 Yale University employees was averted last Monday night when members of Local 35, the blue-collar union, voted 362-17 to accept a last minute contract.

The settlement, reached early Saturday morning after a midnight Friday deadline had passed, was the second accord of the week.

The first, with the clerical and technical workers' Local 34, ended four months of bitter dispute which included a strike from September 26 to December 4. After going back to work December 4 without accepting a contract. Local 34 finally ratified a new contract last Tuesday.

Joined Forces

The two locals, which had joined forces during the strike, had promised to stage another strike together unless the university settled with both.

Spokesmen for Yale and the unions yesterday called the contracts fair and expressed relief that there would not have to be a renewed strike.

The negotiations with Local 35, which dealt mainly with issues of job security and guarantees of full-year employment for all employees, went fairly smoothly after the scramble for a settlement with 34, organizers said.

"The unity of the two locals was a major aspect of our success," said Local 35 spokesman William Myerson. "There was tremendous support from the labor movement in general, and from university employees in specific."

The 2,650 clerical and technical workers represented by the Local 34 bargaining unit last week voted overwhelmingly for the three and one-half year package, which will increase wages and benefits an average of 35 percent over the life of the contract.

Local 34 members also won increased fringe benefits, including their first dental plan and a beefed-up pension program.

Do It Again

"The strike was definitely worth it, and the workers are proud of themselves," said Anne L. Bracker, a Local 34 organizer. Bracker said she feels Yale ended up settling because "they could feel we were ready to do it all over again."

For the university's part. "We certainly weren't confident we could got a settlement [before the second deadline]." John A. Wilkinson, secretary of Yale's governing corporation, said yesterday.

"We're now good, happy semester, I hope I never have to talk about labor relations again." Wilkinson added