Maids, Janitors Choose HUERA Over AFL, 4-1

University maids and janitors voted four to one for HUERA Wednesday, as they soundly defeated attempts to organize them as AFL affiliates.

The large margin of victory came as a surprise. The maids voted HUERA, 264 to 125, while the janitors voted for the University union, 81 to 66.

Ninety-three percent of the number of eligible employees voted, setting a local record for interest in such a campaign.

Mrs. Helen Maynard, president of HUERA, said after the returns were counted, "I told you we would win and we did win. I want to thank everybody who voted for us."

No Further Attempt

AFL representative Matthew L. McGrath best summed up the general reaction; "It was a very interesting and surprising election," he said. "We concentrated all our efforts on the maids, and yet took a terrible beating there. If we had only spent a little more time talking with the men, we could have won them. We only needed eight more votes."

McGrath said the AFL would not make another attempt to organize local maids and janitors for at least three or four years.

"We're in every New England college except Harvard and Wellesley," he said, "and give us a few more years and we'll be there too."

Reynolds' Letter Blamed

Campaign observers blamed the AFL's attempt to grant Administrative-Vice-President Reynolds an honorary membership as the biggest single reason for the AFL defeat. Reynolds refused the membership and wrote a letter to all maids and janitors repudiating AFL tactics.

McGrath agreed that the Reynolds letter was a decisive factor. "On the surface it was fair," he said. "But the insinuated support of HUERA hurt us."

"I don't think our work was wasted," McGrath said. "Our attempts to organize the maids and janitors have made them more conscious than ever about their rights."

Partly responsible for the surprisingly large percentage voting was a HUERA motorcade that took employees to the polling places. Voting was conducted at Harvard Hall in Cambridge and at the Medical and Business schools.