Article `Grossly Misrepresented' Museum Working Conditions

As a museum attendant employed at the Harvard University Art Museums, I would like to respond to several of the falsehoods printed in Sarah E. Scrogin's article, "Museum Workers Allege Abuses," which appeared in the March 14, 1994 issue of The Crimson.

The statement that part-time workers are expected to work up to 40 hours per week without overtime pay is false. Part-time workers at the museum, called limited regular attendants, are in fact, by union contract not allowed to work over 20 hours per week.

The next category of workers are the museum attendants. It is true, as stated in Scrogin's article, that museum attendants are given a set schedule of approximately 25 hours per week and are required to work 40 hours if needed.

But what Scrogin fails to point out is that these workers receive a full benefit package including medical, dental, retirement and tuition assistance, along with any other benefits that full-time Harvard University staff person is eligible for.

Scrogin also fails to mention that these museum attendant positions are bid on from the pool of part-timers who know full well the conditions and obligations that go along with this position.

The museum attendant job description including salary, benefits and scheduling is set by union contract and is presented to each employee both verbally and in writing before the employee accepts the position.

The allegations that the museum Security Department is run like the military and that military tactics are used to intimidate workers is laughable. The Chief of Security, Michele Trifiro was presented as intimidating and threatening.

While it is true that Trifiro has a military background, she has been an artist for a longer period of time. It is obvious by the wide range of artists that work as museum attendants, that a prospective employee's knowledge and appreciation of art is an important consideration in Trifiro's hiring process.

Trifiro has always had an open door policy, and welcomes any suggestions for change from any employee. Requests for scheduling changes are in most cases granted. Trifiro has been responsible for getting museum attendants a break room and new uniforms.

These uniforms are issued and laundered weekly at no cost to employees. After working for two local security companies before coming to Harvard, I can attest that these are benefits unheard of in the industry.

The final untruth appeared in the last paragraph of the article. It indicated that there are no museum attendants interested in stepping forward to represent the attendants to the Local 254 labor union to which they belong.

I was present at the attendant's most recent union meeting (held at the Fogg Museum during a monthly paid training session) and witnessed three museum attendants approach Kathy Conway, Local 254 business agent, to express their interest in representing the attendants.

Since Scrogin's article was published, the response among the museum attendants has been either amusement at the blatant inaccuracies within the article, or concern that museum management and the Harvard community will wrongly conclude that these are the opinions of the majority of museum attendants.

Working conditions for museum attendants at the Harvard University Art Museums have been grossly misrepresented. Jane M. Heelen   Harvard University Art Museum Attendant