Mulvihill Predicts Maids Will Continue Next Year

Student porters will not replace maid service next year, Daniel G. Mulvihill, Harvard Employees' Union head predicted yesterday.

Mulvihill, in the union's first statement since vice-President Reynolds announced that student porters may be used instead of maids, said that he was "confident that the maid contract will be settled to the satisfaction of both University and union--and I am also confident that there will be maid service next year."

The union three weeks ago opened negotiations with the University for a ten cent hourly wage increase that would affect over 1,000 employees including maids, janitors, engineers, and maintenance men.

"Reasonable Request"

Mulvihill pointed out that during the past three years the maids have received a pay increase of four cents per week, from $18.00 to $18.04, and a reduction of hours from 24 to 22. "I say that this (new) request is justified and reasonable," Mulvihill commented.

The most recent agreement between union and University was reached last spring when a five-day work week for the maids brought an hourly wage increase from 75 to 82 cents. Mulvihill noted that "with the four-cent weekly pay increase the University ceased to engage the usual number of maids, increasing the work of each maid by adding an average of four extra students to those whom she already had been working for."

Supervised Inspection

The present amount of work asked of each maid and the supervised inspection of their work has caused many to leave their jobs, said Mulvihill.

Mulvihill added that the delay in settlement does not disturb him, and he expects an agreement to be reached within a month. In the meantime, the maids and all other employees will continue their work as usual, he stated.