Barnard Averts Strike

An eleventh hour compromise last week prevented a Barnard College clerical union from going on strike and ended bargaining battles over salary increases and the preservation of workers' benefits from a recently expired contract.

The largest stumbling block in negotiations had been that, in exchange for a worker salary increase, Barnard had wanted "givebacks" from the clerical workers of such benefits as free enrollment in university courses, and vacation time.

In accordance with the new contract, the clerical workers will not make such givebacks. However, they abandoned their original demand for a 16 percent annual salary increase for each of the next three years, and settled for increases of six, five, and five percent over that time. They also won improved health benefits.

Negotiations for a new contract had dragged since December with no agreement, and the clerical union, Local District 65 of the United Auto Workers, voted to set a strike date of February 12.

"From the very beginning we took the dual approach of negotiating as hard as we could while preparing for a strike," said Maida Rosenstein, Columbia University organizer of District 65.

If a compromise was not reached by the strike deadline, nearly 100 Barnard faculty members intended to show support by moving their classes to off-campus locations, Rosenstein said.

Despite one picket demonstration and the introduction of an outside negotiator, little progress was reached until the union's final meeting with Barnard, which ended less than two hours before the union was to strike.

According to Rosenstein, most union members were satisfied with the compromise. "The membership felt they had really beaten back the givebacks," she said, adding that she still thought the clerical workers deserved higher salary increases.

Barnard officials were also pleased with the new contract, said Public Relations Director Sally Slate, who added that Barnard was "eager to make sure that its workers are well-paid."