Striking B&G Workers Return to Job

Harvard's attendance at a conciliation conference was the device that ended a Commencement-time strike of over 200 of the University's employees.

The strike had been called by the Boston Crafts Maintenance Council, a group that seeks to represent the Building and Grounds Department's carpenters, plumbers, electricians, groundsmen, truck drivers, and other skilled workers. It ended Tuesday, June 20.

On that day, Harvard, the Boston Crafts Maintenance Council, Buildings Services Employees International, and attorneys for a small group of B&G workers met with the Massachusetts Labor Conciliation and Arbitration Board to discuss their problems.

The underlying topic at the discussions was how to determine which union actually represents B&G workers. The two unions attending the meeting, plus the small group of B&G workers seeking to be called the "Buildings and Grounds Maintenance Association," all claim the right to be recognized as the workers' bargaining agent.

Disputed Election

The Boston Crafts Maintenance Council claims that at a meeting in December, 1966, the 265 members of the Buildings and Grounds Maintenance Association voted to merge with the Council. The small group of B&G workers (perhaps two dozen) seeking to retain the old name allegedly claims that this was not so. The Building Services Employees International, on the basis of some cards signed by B&G workers, claims that it is the bargaining agent.

The University contended that it could not arbitrarily recognize any one union over the other. It insisted on an election conducted by the Massachusetts State Labor Relations Board as the means of determining the proper representative.

The Boston Crafts Maintenance Council, which actually has the sympathies of most of the B&G workers, feared that Harvard would not abide by he results of a state election. It argued that Harvard should recognize it as the bargaining agent on the basis of the December, 1966 vote.

To prove its point--that it represented most of the B&G workers--the Crafts Council called a strike in early June. Most of the B&G workers went on strike.

But Harvard refused to yield to the pressure brought by the strike and insisted on a state-run election. Finally, in mid-June, the striking workers agreed to return to work if Harvard would attend the Concilation and Arbitration Board meeting. Harvard agreed to the meeting, and the striking workers went back to their Jobs.

At the meeting, the conciliators managed to get all parties to agree to a state-run election, which is expected to be held sometime this month. But last night, Donn J. Berry, secretary of the Crafts Maintenance Council, warned that if it appears that the election won't be held until after the summer. Harvard "can expect the men back on the picket line."