Harvard Quietly Prepares For Anti-Union Campaign

After holding 50 meetings with University staff supervisors this summer about the intensified union drive, the Administration is watching and waiting before stepping up its anti-union efforts.

The University is holding off on "training on substantive issues" until the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW) moves closer to setting a date for an election, said Ann H. Taylor, special assistant to the Vice President for Administration and head of Harvard's union strategy. A majority of the University's 4000 support staff must vote for the union before it can become an official bargaining unit.

Last week, President Bok defended the employees' right to unionize, but added that the University had a duty to make known its opposition to the union.

"We will likely have a very agressive, serious campaign this fall and winter, and we are preparing for it," said Taylor, a labor lawyer who has worked for the National Labor Relations Board and the government.

"It's like a political campaign--we have to be flexible and react to what they are doing," Taylor said. "We want to know who to call upon when we have to. When we need literature, we will have it written."

The union drive has gained momentum this fall, increasing the frequency of meetings with many employees to once a week instead of once a month, as was the practice before. In September HUCTW leader Kris Rondeau said the union had enough support to win an election. Last January HUCTW's grassroots effort got a huge finanical and morale boost when it affiliated with the 1.1 million member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

"I hope the University can be as effective asthe union in getting our point across," Tayloradded.

The University opposes the union, as it hasopposed HUCTW's two previously unsuccessful drivesin the medical area. The union has asked Harvardto remain neutral in the upcoming election,arguing that University involvement puts unduepressure on employees to back their employer'sside.

However, last week President Bok said that theUniversity has an obligation to make its stanceclear to employees. "You obviously want to putforward information," Bok said.

Bok, a labor law expert, defended the right ofemployees to make their own decision on the union."Our workers have every right to join a union.They have every right to a free and fairelection," he said.

This summer Taylor met with all staffsupervisors to explain the legal restrictions ontheir relation to the organizing effort and thehistory of HUCTW's unionizing drives.

"No supervisor is being asked to become a footsoldier," Taylor said. "If they come to believe[the Administration's side] then its great."

Eileen M. Wingate, supervisor for cashdisbursements, who is undecided on the union, saysthe administration did not push the anti-unionparty-line on supervisors, but rather helpedsupervisors understand the union's right to talkwith employees. "I came out of the meeting feelingour management is very supportive of the staffknowing the issues," she said.

Wingate says the union drive has spurred ahelpful debate about employee concerns. "It's agood time to air problems," she said. "A lot ofissues come up and the staff find that otherpeople feel the same way they do."

Supervisors who are opposed to the union saidthey do not share their position with theiremployees unless they are asked. "We never go outof our way to sell our point of view toemployees," said a supervisor of 55 support staffmembers in Holyoke Center, who asked not to benamed