Living Wage Campaign’s Role Now Self-Invented

To the editors:

As a fan of moral outrage as an extracurricular in general and Harvard’s very own Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM) in particular, I was concerned by the news that 97 percent of Harvard janitors recently ratified a new contract after weeks of negotiation with the administration (News, “Janitors Wage Still Not a Living Wage,” Mar. 4). I noted that the new base wage exceeded the various living wage standards set by the City of Cambridge, the Harvard Committee on Employment and Contracting Policies (HCECP) and the PSLM itself, and further that union leader Rocio Saenz called the contract “a great step on workers rights.” I wondered if this was the end of the line for our intrepid band of demonstrators. No more marches around University Hall? No more post-midterm, pre-finals sit-ins?

Fortunately PSLM is taking its role as the righteously indignant third wheel in this negotiation process seriously, with fiercely-worded statements about the inadequate nature of the new contract and the unresponsiveness of the administration to the janitors’ needs. My concerns are alleviated, and I can only hope that PSLM members will redouble their efforts over the next few months, or at least until their Goldman internships begin in June.

Thomas C. Chambers ’02

Mar. 9, 2002