Union Members Rally Against Cut in Benefits

Undergraduates joined approximately 100 members of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW) in marching around Massachusetts Hall, shaking chains and screaming "Boo" outside the Provost's office in a Halloween rally yesterday.

HUCTW, Harvard's largest union, protested proposed cuts in part-time health-care benefits scheduled to take effect in January. Members said they would continue to walk the picket line until the issue was resolved.

"We're hoping that the Provost will take more seriously our resolve to save benefits for part-timers, and we're going to have a fun time doing that," said HUCTW President Donene M. Williams, holding a mask of University Provost Albert Carnesale.

But University officials said HUCTW accepted the benefits cuts when the contract was negotiated.

"The Provost is very much concerned about these people," said Timothy R. Manning, director of labor relations. "These are his employees and he's challenged me to come up with a solution."

"There was resistance from HUCTW but they agreed to go along with the cuts in exchange for generous salary increases, among other changes," Manning said.

The picket line began at 8 a.m. yesterday morning and continued until 6 p.m., with the number of protesters swelling around 5:15 p.m. when many members of HUCTW got off work for the day.

"For me, it is important that I graduate from a place that reflects the values I've been taught," said Robert L. Feldstein '96-'97.

Donna Malin, a radiology techni- cian for University Health Services, is a part-time employee who has been with the University since 1982.

"It is a choice for me to be part-time; it is a choice for me to be at home with my children and this cut will be an added financial burden on me," she said.

Bill Jaeger, director of HUCTW, said the brunt of budget cutting should not fall on workers like Malin.

"Our objective is pretty simple. This is not a financially prosperous group," Jaeger said. "It is the wrong group to target in trying to save money on benefits."

A Joint Committee on Benefits (JCB), composed of five union members and five University representatives, has been established to consider alternative solutions to the benefits issue.

"We want to be fair to people, and we don't want part-time workers with families to bear the entire burden," Manning said. "The Joint Benefits Committee is there to figure out what the right position is."

According to Jaeger and Williams, the committee has found that position, but Carnesale is stalling the compromise.

Carnesale did not return calls requesting comment yesterday afternoon. However, Manning said the JCB has not submitted any formal proposals on part-time benefits to the Provost.

"As a practical matter, they haven't been able to come up with a quantifiable cost-neutral plan," Manning said

"It is a choice for me to be part-time; it is a choice for me to be at home with my children and this cut will be an added financial burden on me," she said.

Bill Jaeger, director of HUCTW, said the brunt of budget cutting should not fall on workers like Malin.

"Our objective is pretty simple. This is not a financially prosperous group," Jaeger said. "It is the wrong group to target in trying to save money on benefits."

A Joint Committee on Benefits (JCB), composed of five union members and five University representatives, has been established to consider alternative solutions to the benefits issue.

"We want to be fair to people, and we don't want part-time workers with families to bear the entire burden," Manning said. "The Joint Benefits Committee is there to figure out what the right position is."

According to Jaeger and Williams, the committee has found that position, but Carnesale is stalling the compromise.

Carnesale did not return calls requesting comment yesterday afternoon. However, Manning said the JCB has not submitted any formal proposals on part-time benefits to the Provost.

"As a practical matter, they haven't been able to come up with a quantifiable cost-neutral plan," Manning said