Harvard Clerical Union Ratifies New Contract by Wide Margin

The Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW) ratified its contract earlier this week by an overwhelming margin of approximately 85 percent, according to union treasurer Doneme M. Williams.

The contract will give the nearly 4,000 HUCTW members their largest wage increase in years.

While the numbers of the May 1 vote are not completely finalized, union leaders said yesterday that they consider the three-year contract approved.

"The elections commission is still finalizing the results," Williams said.

Contested ballots-cast by a small number of people not registered with the union-are holding up the finalization of the elections.

"People who were not members, they're probably new, they came to vote," explained union organizer Kris A. Rondeau.

Union members opposed to the contract waged a dissent campaign for weeks preceding the vote-buying an advertisement in The Crimson, handing out leaflets, sending e-mails and creating a website-all with the theme "HUCTW Can Do Better."

Dissenting members could not be reached for comment yesterday, but union leaders said such a campaign is not unusual.

"It's the same exact group that has campaigned against every contract," Rondeau said.

One of the contract's major draws was the salary increase, according to Williams.

"It's got good salary increases in it-the largest salary increase we've had for several years," Williams said. "We got an extra salary increase for the lowest-paid workers."

The contract does not contain any stipulations about outsourcing work, but that's not really a problem for HUCTW, according to Williams.

"We don't have the same sorts of threats or pressures that the other unions have," Williams said.

The contract will go into effect on July 1.

-Staff writer Lauren R. Dorgan can be reached at dorgan@fas.harvard.edu.