Letter to the Editor: Local 25 Supports HUDS Workers

To the editor:

I applaud The Crimson’s Editorial Board for standing shoulder to shoulder with the Harvard University Dining Services workers in a recent editorial. The dining workers at Harvard University transform an institution into a home for students and staff alike. As you point out, HUDS workers reflect the diversity of the student body, helping students of color feel more welcome on a campus that does not always fully appreciate this diversity. Harvard is apparently rewarding this important role by proposing healthcare plan changes that would raise copays and shift costs onto dining workers—further driving down an annual average income of less than $35,000.

In the event of a strike, members of Teamsters Local 25 will honor and support the dining workers’ picket lines. Each day, Local 25 members deliver parcels, freight, equipment, and perishables and pick up trash at Harvard University and its dining halls. The services Teamsters provide, although not directly involved with dining services, education or research, are an important element of ensuring that University runs smoothly.

It is my sincere hope that the Harvard University administration reconsiders its position and negotiates fairly for the benefit of both the Harvard dining workers and the students and staff that they care for.

Sean M. O’Brien is the President of the Teamsters Local 25 union.