City Council Congratulates Harvard Union

The Cambridge City Council unanimously voted Monday night to congratulate the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW) on winning the May 17 union certification election at Harvard.

"It's as if someone' started a new business," Independent Councillor William H. Walsh said yesterday, adding that his father had been an active union member at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology.

The Council passed another unanimous resolution in March calling on the University administration to refrain from campaigning against the union or interfering with the May 17 election. Several City Council members also attempted to lobby President Bok on the union's behalf.

"I don't think input from the City Council or any politician would have changed our minds," said Anne H. Taylor, head of the University's antiunion campaign, adding that she was not surprised by the Council's position.

"They've always been very staunch supporters of organizers at Harvard," HUCTW organizer Marie Manna said of the City Council.

But the victory may not be final, as the University filed complaints yesterday with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) alleging that the union used illegal pressure tactics on election day. If the NLRB finds with Harvard, it could then call for a new election.