<b>Dear Sisters and Brothers,<br><br>Last year Harvard's clerical union lost 7% of its members. Through a combination of layoffs, attrition and a coercive early-retirement "offer," there are about 340 fewer HUCTW members in union jobs than there were last year. Five more union members were just notified that their employment will end in June. Harvard may be testing the waters to see if another mass layoff is possible. <br>
<br>Rank-and-file activists in my local *will not accept* the loss of more union jobs! We have already paid far too much for the "non-profit" University's reckless, speculative investment strategies. Despite its bad bets on hedge funds and private equity, etc., Harvard still enjoys a huge endowment of about $26 billion, the envy of every other university on earth. <br>
<br>On Thursday, March 25, we will protest the latest layoff notices and put healthy pressure on Harvard to create more union positions. We seek to send this message to our fabulously rich employer: if you cut jobs, we will demonstrate! We call on Harvard to open its books and try to prove the latest hurtful cuts are necessary. Our action will take place at 5 p.m., 1350 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, less than a block from the Harvard MBTA stop & next to Au Bon Pain. Please join us!<br>
<br>Facebook event: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=333146782863#%21/event.php?eid=333146782863&ref=mf" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=333146782863#!/event.php?eid=333146782863&ref=mf</a><br>
<br>In Solidarity,<br><br>Geoff Carens, Union Rep, HUCTW/AFSCME local 3650<br><br><br></b>