University Women Lay Foundation For Organization

Over 100 women Corporation appointees and salary-and-wage employees voted unanimously early this week to found an organization called Women Employed at Harvard.

And as its first order of business, the new organization--which includes women employed at all levels throughout the University--voted unanimously to empower a volunteer steering committee to recruit and hire a paid executive officer.

She will coordinate the organization's activities and assist the committee in implementing the association's objectives.

The organization resolved to "make its purpose general enough to include everyone and exclude no one."

In fact, in presenting the proposal to organize officially, Elizabeth E. Butterfield, assistant registrar of the College and the GSAS, suggested that there is "no reason not to include men if they are willing to contribute."

The general objectives outlined by the women include:

* seeking equity in compensation and job classification;

* working actively for the promotion of women employees and the appointment of women to jobs now held only by men;

* seeking improved day-care facilities;

* publicizing all laws concerning the employment of women; and

* creating a staffed resources and communications center to serve all women employed by Harvard, and all smaller organizations of women employed by Harvard.

The women, including many in their fifties and sixties, adopted unanimously another resolution that set a sliding scale of dues based on each individual member's commitment to the organization.

The women set a $5 minimum contribution for voting membership.

Many of those present at the "mass meeting" made contributions at the conclusion of that convention, and many others pledged contributions.

Although a suggestion by one woman--that the women organize as a union with strike power--was greeted with some applause, the issue of the organization's status in the University remains unresolved.

The women continually stressed the persistance and visibility of the organization as all-important to the realization of their goals.