Union Seeks Jurisdiction In University

The AFL-CIO Building Service Employees' Union is making "excellent progress" in an all-out effort to organize members of independent University employee associations, Edward T. Sullivan, president of Local 254 of the Union, said Saturday.

Three full-time organizers have been assigned to the University, and at least 30 per cent of the members of five different employee groups have authorized the Local to represent them, Sullivan claimed. This is the percentage required to force a jurisdictional election.

Another union, the AFL-CIO Book-binders, has already enlisted a sufficient number of University bindery employees to schedule a jurisdictional election Thursday.

Organizers have told employees here that, although the University once paid higher wages than any Eastern institution, M.I.T. has surpassed Harvard since its employees affiliated with Local 254. They also cited the lack of any provision for arbitration in the University employees' contracts.

"We've never needed arbitration," said a representative of the Harvard University Employees' Representative Association. "Most of us have been with the University a long time, and they've always treated us well. Joining the local would only increase our dues from 25 cents to $2.50 a month," he asserted.

Local 254 is concentrating its efforts on member groups of the H.U.E.R.A.--maids, janitors, bakers, H.A.A. personnel, and unskilled printing employees. Members of four other independent associations have also been asked to affiliate with the local.