Electricians Protest OIT Contractor Pick

Heated protests continued this week as local union electricians picketed Harvard's Office for Information Technology (OIT), complaining that the office employs "substandard" non-union contractors.

To oversee its current building renovations on Cambridge and North Harvard Streets, OIT hired Pyramid Electric corporation and Christakis Electric Company--companies which the local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers claims provide poor working conditions.

The union, which began protesting in early August, chooses to work with 202 union-affiliated contracting companies.

Approximately 20 union members come to campus daily to picket OIT. The electricians also pass out pamphlets that describe pyramid's and Christakis's practices as " immoral and unfair" and accuse the companies of seeking "profits at the expense of employees."

"Pyramid and Christakis are not community standard," said union businessmanager Chuck Monahan. "We'll continue [toprotest] until these contractors are off theproperty."

Monahan said the contracting companies providesubstandard wages and inadequate fringe benefits.They also fail to offer adequate training, health,welfare and pension programs, he said.

"Human beings are not six-foot ladders that youuse until they break down and then throw in thebackyard," Monahan said.

OIT Director Stephen C. Hall defended hisoffice's hiring decision. OIT publicizes the termsof its contracting jobs to attract bidders, Hallsaid. When choosing among offers, he said, OITconsiders other factors besides a company's unionor non-union status.

OIT frequently employs Brotherhood members tohandle its electrical problems and renovations,Hall said. About three-fourths of its electricaljobs over the past five years have gone to unioncontractors.

Pyramid and Christakis were hired in this casefor "very general" jobs, Hall said.

"A lot of people are happy working for thesesmall entrepreneurs," he said. "The words in thebrochures were not well-chosen... We have a badeconomy. Some of the [protesters] there wouldreally like to have jobs."

A worker from one of the non-union contractorsrefuted the protesters' allegations. Non-unioncompanies, he said, undergo fewer layoffs andfoster "more personal relationships."

His company's employees are licensed andreceive full benefits packages and vacations, hesaid.

Another non-union worker said the protestersare only complaining because they wanted to workon the OIT project.

Christakis's employees completed the CambridgeStreet electrical work last week. Pyramid workersare now in the final stages of renovating OIT'srepair and distribution center on North HarvardStreet

Monahan said the contracting companies providesubstandard wages and inadequate fringe benefits.They also fail to offer adequate training, health,welfare and pension programs, he said.

"Human beings are not six-foot ladders that youuse until they break down and then throw in thebackyard," Monahan said.

OIT Director Stephen C. Hall defended hisoffice's hiring decision. OIT publicizes the termsof its contracting jobs to attract bidders, Hallsaid. When choosing among offers, he said, OITconsiders other factors besides a company's unionor non-union status.

OIT frequently employs Brotherhood members tohandle its electrical problems and renovations,Hall said. About three-fourths of its electricaljobs over the past five years have gone to unioncontractors.

Pyramid and Christakis were hired in this casefor "very general" jobs, Hall said.

"A lot of people are happy working for thesesmall entrepreneurs," he said. "The words in thebrochures were not well-chosen... We have a badeconomy. Some of the [protesters] there wouldreally like to have jobs."

A worker from one of the non-union contractorsrefuted the protesters' allegations. Non-unioncompanies, he said, undergo fewer layoffs andfoster "more personal relationships."

His company's employees are licensed andreceive full benefits packages and vacations, hesaid.

Another non-union worker said the protestersare only complaining because they wanted to workon the OIT project.

Christakis's employees completed the CambridgeStreet electrical work last week. Pyramid workersare now in the final stages of renovating OIT'srepair and distribution center on North HarvardStreet