Guards Demonstrate for Higher Wages

Security guards, students and local residents gathered yesterday to protest stalled contract negotiations between the University and the guards' union and to call for guards to be paid a living wage.

About 35 people, including members of the Living Wage Campaign, met in front of University Hall shortly after 3 p.m. for a 30-minute demonstration and a short march around Mass. Hall.

"We are making less an hour without benefits than fast-food workers in Harvard Square," said Danny J. Meagher, a guard for the Harvard University Art Museums (HUAM).

Meagher, who makes "just over" $8 an hour, said he was promised to be given a raise to $9.23 one year after he was hired, but he never received the raise.

He said that he and other guards have educated themselves about the art they guard.

"We are a unique force of guards in the world," he said. "They should value us more than they do."

No raises have been given since 1995, according to the guards, and new guards have not been added to the force since 1990.

Negotiations for a new contract have been taking place since 1995. University spokesperson Joe Wrinn said there will be more meetings between the two sides in April.

"Ten years I've given to this place, and they've treated me like garbage for five of those years," said one guard at the rally. "It breaks my heart."

Security guard union president Stephen G. McCombe said one of the main reasons why several security guards protested yesterday is to show that they had support from Harvard students.

He said the quality of life at Harvard is "everyone's concern."

"People have a right to live the American dream," McCombe said.

Addressing the students, he said, "We also believe that you're part of our family as well...Everyone is entitled to living wage."

Guards said another reason for their protest was to respond to an ongoing dispute with the University about its community policing policy.

In an interview last month with The Crimson, Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) Chief Francis D. "Bud" Riley said he encountered resistance when he tried to start his community policing program, but McCombe said he offered no resistance to guards' inclusion in the program.

"We already do community policing and, if we're in the Harvard community, why aren't we treated like we're in the Harvard community?" McCombe asked yesterday.

Aaron F. Bartley, a Harvard Law School student and organizer of the campaign, said students and the security guards formed an alliance to "bring together people who care about the same things."

"It's atrocious to go four years without a contract," he added. "It's inexplicable...to penny-pinch and squeeze every last worker on this campus."

On Wednesday, President Neil L. Rudenstine announced that Harvard will form a faculty task force to examine University labor policy.

Bartley said the announcement was a "step in the right direction" but that "people's lives don't need committees--they need decent wages and decent benefits."

"We're trying to show support for one another's demands," said Amy C. Offner '01, a member of the campaign.

She said the guards "are members of our community who Harvard doesn't treat as members of our community."

"They've put us off and they've kept putting us off [with negotiations]," said one security guard who wished to remain anonymous.

"We'd like to see a little bit more for ourselves," said the guard, who said he has worked at Harvard for ten years.

While the rally was billed as a fight to keep guards' salaries from dropping below the "living wage" level of $10, Wrinn said after the rallythat this fear was misguided.

"We're certainly not going to cut any wages,"Wrinn said. "The vast majority of guards aremaking more than that [$10] already. I think theyknow that."

Wrinn said he doesn't believe that the cuts inpay have ever been an issue.

"There's never been any intent to cut thesalaries of people who are already there," hesaid.

Instead, the issue has always been theentry-level wages for guards, he said.

Wrinn said the rally will not affect theUniversity's standpoint in the ongoingnegotiations.

"I think we do negotiating face-to-face andacross-the-table, not through the press," Wrinnsaid.

Campaign members said they felt yesterday'srally was a success.

"I'm optimistic," said Greg R. Halpern '99. Hesaid 41 faculty signatures and 1,000 studentsignatures have already been gathered in supportof the campaign.

"We're going to put an increasing amount ofpressure on Harvard until they don't have a choicebut to implement the living wage," he said.

Other members agreed that such tactics are notlikely to let up until Harvard moves on the topic.

"We plan to continue demonstrating,embarrassing Harvard and making life difficult forHarvard until it establishes the living wage,"Offner said.

"As we develop relationships with all the manyunions on campus, we're going to get stronger,"Bartley said

"We're certainly not going to cut any wages,"Wrinn said. "The vast majority of guards aremaking more than that [$10] already. I think theyknow that."

Wrinn said he doesn't believe that the cuts inpay have ever been an issue.

"There's never been any intent to cut thesalaries of people who are already there," hesaid.

Instead, the issue has always been theentry-level wages for guards, he said.

Wrinn said the rally will not affect theUniversity's standpoint in the ongoingnegotiations.

"I think we do negotiating face-to-face andacross-the-table, not through the press," Wrinnsaid.

Campaign members said they felt yesterday'srally was a success.

"I'm optimistic," said Greg R. Halpern '99. Hesaid 41 faculty signatures and 1,000 studentsignatures have already been gathered in supportof the campaign.

"We're going to put an increasing amount ofpressure on Harvard until they don't have a choicebut to implement the living wage," he said.

Other members agreed that such tactics are notlikely to let up until Harvard moves on the topic.

"We plan to continue demonstrating,embarrassing Harvard and making life difficult forHarvard until it establishes the living wage,"Offner said.

"As we develop relationships with all the manyunions on campus, we're going to get stronger,"Bartley said