Custodial Workers Object To Letter

Some of Harvard's custodial crew chiefs said they will file a grievance today with the University in the wake of last week's written warnings of unsatisfactory job performance from Harvard Facilities and Maintenance.

Crew chiefs and custodial workers in a number of undergraduate houses said yesterday that they were personally handed the letter by the associate manager of Facilities and Maintenance, Jason Luke '94.

Luke did not return phone calls yesterday afternoon.

"It's an insult," said one crew chief. "It's not even a formal letter--not all the letters were even signed."

The letter sent last week includes statements warning that Facilities Maintenance could lose its contract. "Unless we dramatically improve on performance, we will lose the buildings to an outside contractor."

"This is a written notice of unsatisfactory performance. Failure to improve your cleaning performance will result in further disciplinary action....I ask your continued support in keeping our custodial business in operation," the letter reads.

The letter prompted outraged reactions from some of the custodial staff, who asked that their names not be printed for fear of reprisals.

The grievance, which will be filed through the custodial union to the University, will cite "unjust discipline" as the major complaint, the crew chiefs said.

"The letter itself is discipline," one crew chief said.

The crew chiefs argued that their work has certainly not been unsatisfactory and do not know why the letter was written.

"We are operating with the least people and our cleaning standards have never been higher," an angry crew chief said.

Crew chiefs said they fear that the complaint is the first step in removing them from their jobs in order to replace them with outside contractors.

Mather, Currier and Dunster Houses are already contracted to outside cleaning firms.

One crew chief, who said he was bewildered by the letter, said he had a conference with a house master and Luke on Friday morning.

According to the crew chief, the house master was unaware of any problems with the custodial staff and felt that the staff was performing an adequate job. That master was not available for comment yesterday.

The crew chiefs stated that outside contractors are generally cheaper and provide less benefits to their workers. According to crew chiefs, Harvard would be saving money at the expense of the custodial staff.

None of the administrators of Facilities Operations and Maintenance, including Director Michael A. Ellicott and Thomas E. Vautin, associate vice president for facilities and environmental services, could be reached for comment yesterday afternoon.

Vautin said last week the letters had been sent at the request of unnamed "customers," who had complained about the cleanliness of the houses.

"This is frankly all about trying to retain positions here because these jobs have been lost to contract [in the past]," Vautin said

Crew chiefs said they fear that the complaint is the first step in removing them from their jobs in order to replace them with outside contractors.

Mather, Currier and Dunster Houses are already contracted to outside cleaning firms.

One crew chief, who said he was bewildered by the letter, said he had a conference with a house master and Luke on Friday morning.

According to the crew chief, the house master was unaware of any problems with the custodial staff and felt that the staff was performing an adequate job. That master was not available for comment yesterday.

The crew chiefs stated that outside contractors are generally cheaper and provide less benefits to their workers. According to crew chiefs, Harvard would be saving money at the expense of the custodial staff.

None of the administrators of Facilities Operations and Maintenance, including Director Michael A. Ellicott and Thomas E. Vautin, associate vice president for facilities and environmental services, could be reached for comment yesterday afternoon.

Vautin said last week the letters had been sent at the request of unnamed "customers," who had complained about the cleanliness of the houses.

"This is frankly all about trying to retain positions here because these jobs have been lost to contract [in the past]," Vautin said