Dunster, Mather Endorse Union

Two more house committees have voiced support for a Harvard clerical and technical workers union, bringing the total number of house endorsements to four.

The Mather House Committee voted 22-2-3 on Wednesday to support "the efforts of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers in their efforts to form a union among the staff of Harvard."

The Adams House Committee approved a similar resolution the same day by a vote of 7-0.

The two votes come one week after Dunster House voted to endorse the union and three weeks after a Lowell House vote.

The union is a grassroots organization attempting to form a union among Harvard's 3800 clerical and technical workers, more than 80 percent of whom are women. These workers, who hold jobs ranging from secretaries to laboratory research assistants, remain the only non-unionized group of Harvard employees.

The clerical and technical workers union was formed in August after a break with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. The clerical and technical organizers, who are former and current Harvard employees, charged that they were forced out of the UAW by non-Harvard organizers.

The UAW has continued its organizing effort on campus under new leadership.

The break still elicits resentment within the clerical and technical workers union, which faults UAW organizing tactics and contends that the UAW has failed to achieve a support base among workers.

UAW organizers were unavailable for comment yesterday.

Many students at the Wednesday night committee meetings said they favor the clerical and technical union. "The leaders split from the UAW for good reasons," said Adams House resident Jonathan E. Martin '88.

"I have a strong belief in the workers' right to unionize, but I was concerned that this not be an external union, such as the UAW," said Mather resident Brendan W. Randall '88.

But some complained that they were not told that the UAW continues to organize.

Dunster resident Eric C. Weaver '86 said no mention was made of the UAW's current efforts at last week's Dunster committee meeting. "Thev only mentioned there had been a split," he said.

Clerical and technical union organizers said nothing was said about the current UAW effort because they don't feel it remains a significant competitor for worker support. "The UAW is sort of here, but they don't have the support of any of the employees," said organizer Kris A. Rondeau. "It's a moot point," she said.

"I think its unfortunate that people didn't know the UAW was around, but if students support the idea of unionization, they have to support the union of clerical and technical workers," said Elisabeth A. Szanto '87, co-chair of the Philips Brooks House committee that brought the union efforts before the house committees.