Students Protest for Disabled Harvard Yard Mail Center Worker

Over 30 students, workers, and union members marched in front of the Holyoke Center Thursday to protest hour cuts for disabled 61-year-old Harvard Yard Mail Center worker Marvin D. Byrd, who wears a brace on his left foot.

Marchers spent over an hour speaking and chanting in support of Byrd, yelling such cheers as “Justice for Marvin,” and “They say cutback, we say fight back.”

Byrd, who has worked in the mail center in the basement of the Science Center since 1995, had his hours decreased from 29 to 25 per week and was switched from a five- to six-day per-week schedule.

William P. Whitham ’14, a member of the Student Labor Action Movement who spoke at Thursday’s rally, said that the cut-backs in Byrd’s hours are part of a “disturbing” trend in the University’s attempts to economize.

“When the University wants to save money, they often take it out of workers’ wallets,” Whitham said. “It’s always older people, women, disabled people, and minorities that get the short end of the stick. [SLAM] is not saying Harvard is full of racists or sexists, but it’s upsetting when these things happen.”

Geoffrey “Geoff” Carens, a representative for the Harvard Union of Technical and Clerical Workers, the union which represents Byrd, said that he believes that Byrd’s disability is the reason he was targeted for a reduced schedule.

“Why Marvin? Why no one else in the unit?” Carens said. “It doesn’t make sense that they’re singling him out unless it’s for a specific reason.”

The University declined to comment.

Byrd filed a suit against the University through the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, but the suit was dismissed by the commission on October 31.

Byrd said the toughest part of his schedule shift is his commute. With his new schedule, he said he drives two and a half hours from his home in Lynn for only four or five hours of work.

“I don’t know why,” Byrd said. “I have a small disability, but I can do all of my work.”

But the decision to take the reduced schedule was the least of three evils, according to Byrd.

“They gave me three choices,” he said. “Either work 25 hours six days a week, 20 hours five days a week, or they were going to lay me off.”

Whitham emphasized the importance of student support in achieving justice for Byrd.

“The University often targets the most vulnerable workers,” he said. “But the workers are much stronger with the students behind them.”

According to Carens, supporters of Byrd will refuse to back down on the issue until Byrd is returned to his previous schedule.

“Byrd’s quality of life has diminished, and what economic security he has is in jeopardy,” Carens said. “We are going to hold the University’s feet to the fire on this issue.”

—Staff writer Mercer R. Cook can be reached at mcook@college.harvard.edu