Harvard Unions Form Coalition For Negotiations

The leaders of Harvard's seven unions have put together a loose coalition to coordinate goals in their ongoing labor negotiations with the University.

Some observers see the confederation as a possible prelude to a serious confrontation between labor and the University during a year when all union contracts are up for discussion.

Two unions--the Operating Engineers and the Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU)--have already ratified their contracts.

Leaders of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW)--the University's largest union with more than 3500 members--are currently in the midst of talks with Harvard administrators. The other unions will begin their negotiations with Harvard later in the summer and fall, union officials said.

Union representatives stressed in interviews this week that Harvard administrators should not see the creation of the coalition as a threat. They said the move could help speed talks with the University by demonstrating the growing sense of unity between the labor organizations.

"We're all working for Harvard, who's the central employer, and we all have our problems, some of them overlapping, that can be addressed much better through a coalition with a lot of unity," said Joseph W. Nigro, secretary-treasurer of the Boston Building Trades Council.

"If everyone's on the same track we get there a lot faster. So I think what we're trying to do is make Harvard more efficient and make the unions more efficient for Harvard," Nigro said.

But one top Harvard official said he does not understand what purpose the union coalition will serve.

"I have no idea with they mean by that," said Vice President for Finance Robert H. Scot. "I have no idea what they mean by 'coalition' so I can't make a comment."

Chief among the issues addressed by the union leaders at the coalition's first meeting last week was the University's policy of subcontracting some jobs to non-union workers.

"Our concern is that more often than not they are turning to contrac- tors who don't meet the bottom line ofcommunity standards, who don't pay into health andwelfare, who don't pay into pension funds, whodon't have any apprentice programs in place, whodon't employ minorities and women," said Chuck J.Monahan, a representative of the InternationalBrotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Using non-union subcontractors makes it hardfor union workers to compete for projects, Monahansaid.

"We have a problem that it's not a levelplaying field when they expect a person who is 100percent legitimate to bid against someone who weinterpret to be less than legitimate," Monahansaid.

"For Harvard to condone the exploitation ofhuman being ... today it's affecting us, tomorrowit will affect someone else, before you know iteveryone's affected," he added.

Union representatives said they also discussedpension benefits and health care policies at lastweek's meeting. They said they will meet again onMay 13.

The coalition's formation comes at a touchymoment for the University. Contracts with all ofHarvard's seven unions expire this year, accordingto HUCTW President Donene M. Williams.

Williams said HUCTW representatives have beenconducting formal negotiations with Universityadministrators over the last three weeks and hopeto have a contract ready by June.

Williams said that thus far, she is pleasedwith the HUCTW negotiations--the first revisionsof the contract that the young union negotiatedthree years ago. The union won recognition fromthe University after a lengthy and highlypublicized fight.

But Harry W. Hirtle, shop steward for theGCIU--which represents employees of the Office ofthe University Publisher--said workers there werenot pleased with the results of their contractnegotiations.

The contract was ratified on March 15 after afederal mediator resolved irreconcilabledifference between the union and Universityofficials.

"There's general feeling of dissatisfaction onbehalf of the member," Hirtle said, adding that asthe first Harvard union to renegotiate a contractthis year, the GCIU was in a difficult position.

"I think its just that [the university'srepresentatives] anticipated difficultnegotiations with the rest of the unions, atHarvard, and they had to deal with us first and wewere kind of the model," Hirtle said.

But Monahan said he does not expect upcomingnegotiations with Harvard to be especiallydifficult in light of recent comments by PresidentNeil L. Rudenstine.

"Clearly in Neil's speeches he's continuallytalking about the socially conscious and hedoesn't in any way seem to set an adversarialstage here at the University," Monahan said

Using non-union subcontractors makes it hardfor union workers to compete for projects, Monahansaid.

"We have a problem that it's not a levelplaying field when they expect a person who is 100percent legitimate to bid against someone who weinterpret to be less than legitimate," Monahansaid.

"For Harvard to condone the exploitation ofhuman being ... today it's affecting us, tomorrowit will affect someone else, before you know iteveryone's affected," he added.

Union representatives said they also discussedpension benefits and health care policies at lastweek's meeting. They said they will meet again onMay 13.

The coalition's formation comes at a touchymoment for the University. Contracts with all ofHarvard's seven unions expire this year, accordingto HUCTW President Donene M. Williams.

Williams said HUCTW representatives have beenconducting formal negotiations with Universityadministrators over the last three weeks and hopeto have a contract ready by June.

Williams said that thus far, she is pleasedwith the HUCTW negotiations--the first revisionsof the contract that the young union negotiatedthree years ago. The union won recognition fromthe University after a lengthy and highlypublicized fight.

But Harry W. Hirtle, shop steward for theGCIU--which represents employees of the Office ofthe University Publisher--said workers there werenot pleased with the results of their contractnegotiations.

The contract was ratified on March 15 after afederal mediator resolved irreconcilabledifference between the union and Universityofficials.

"There's general feeling of dissatisfaction onbehalf of the member," Hirtle said, adding that asthe first Harvard union to renegotiate a contractthis year, the GCIU was in a difficult position.

"I think its just that [the university'srepresentatives] anticipated difficultnegotiations with the rest of the unions, atHarvard, and they had to deal with us first and wewere kind of the model," Hirtle said.

But Monahan said he does not expect upcomingnegotiations with Harvard to be especiallydifficult in light of recent comments by PresidentNeil L. Rudenstine.

"Clearly in Neil's speeches he's continuallytalking about the socially conscious and hedoesn't in any way seem to set an adversarialstage here at the University," Monahan said