Medical Area Union Answers Memorandum Sent by Steiner

The Medical Area Employees Organizing Committee yesterday reaffirmed its intention to petition the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday for permission to hold a union election, responding to a memorandum from Daniel Steiner '54, general counsel to the University.

On February 5. Steiner reiterated Harvard's refusal to recognize Medical Area. District 65 as the collective bargaining agent for Medical Area clerical and technical employees.

Med Area

The Organizing Committee, which affiliated itself with District 65 of the Distributive Workers of America last spring seeks to represent clerical and technical personnel at the Medical School, Dental School, School of Public Health, and at Countway Library.

In a memorandum sent to all Medical Area Personnel, Steiner said "a bargaining unit limited to clerical and technical employees in the Medical Area is not an appropriate unit under the National Labor Relations Act."

Steiner added, "As a matter of law, the University believes that the only appropriate bargaining unit of clerical and technical employees would be a University-wide unit."

In Newsletter

The Organizing Committee, which says that over half of the Medical Area employees have signed District 65 membership cards, issued the response to Steiner in its newsletter yesterday.

The newsletter went on to confirm the Organizing Committee's decision two weeks ago to ask the NLRB for an election to determine whether a majority of the employees want to be represented by District 65.

The Organizing Committee voted at its membership meeting yesterday to ask Harvard for a paid day off for all personnel who want to attend the NLRB hearings on whether the Medical Area is in fact an appropriate unit.