[act-ma] On May Day, Tell Harvard to Treat Workers Fairly!

[Geoff Carens]

Dear All,

The Trump administration is trying to make the country get "back to
business," on May 1, risking millions of lives for corporate greed. Across
the US, people are calling for a general strike, and will be holding sick
outs, slow downs, wildcat strikes, and refusing to work or shop.

At Harvard, instead of helping the community, the world's richest school is
making workers report sick, denying them protective gear, forcing them to
go into "sick time debt,"* refusing hazard pay, and threatening mass
layoffs! Harvard has also been stonewalling hard-working grad students in
their contract negotiations. On May Day, help us fight back!

Please call and email this message to HU's administrators (contacts listed
below):

*"I demand Harvard provide PPE and hazard pay for all essential workers,
give extra sick time off to all who need it, stop making workers come in
sick or lose pay, make all work voluntary, especially for those with
dependents, and end 'sick time debt.' I demand Harvard negotiate a fair
contract with its grad student workers. Also, No Layoffs!"*

Recipients:

Director of Labor Relations and Employee Relations Paul Curran: 617
495-2786; paul_curran at harvard.edu

Provost Alan Garber: 617 496-5100; provost at harvard.edu

Managing Director, Harvard University Dining Services, David Davidson: 617
495-4812; david_davidson at harvard.edu

Director of Operations & Facilities for HUDS, Robert Leandro: 617 496-6723;
robert_leandro at harvard.edu

Director for Residential Dining Operations for HUDS Bruce Calvert: 617
496-6740; bruce_calvert at harvard.edu

Director of Human Resources for Campus Services Kerry Beirne: 617
496-3776;  kerry_beirne at harvard.edu

Activists are building a coalition of workers, students, and other
concerned people, to fight the greed of the Harvard Corporation, and win
the power to make Harvard use some of its massive $40 billion endowment for
the health and safety of the community. Please reply to this message if
you'd like to get involved. The Facebook event for this action is here
<https://www.facebook.com/events/156091185821100/>. You can also RSVP here
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyx38gZ7yfk81f8XDM8x9dRK8p_Vf95Rmsin0sDBqnz8zvWw/viewform>.


In Solidarity,

Geoff Carens, Union Rep, Harvard Union of Clerical & Technical Workers  /
AFSCME Local 3650
(they/them/their)

*Harvard has been telling workers that they can use sick time from next
year, but they would then face depleted sick time banks, and HU even said
mgmt would deduct negative sick time balances from workers' final paychecks
if they left employment!