Nearly 4,000 Yale Workers Begin Strike

[Rose Siding]

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Nearly 4,000 Yale University workers went on strike over wages, pensions and job security early Wednesday, a walkout that coincides with students' return to the Ivy League campus.

Yale spokesman Tom Conroy said the university planned to keep the campus running with managers and temporary workers performing union workers' jobs. No new contract talks were scheduled.

"We're still very far apart on the issues," said John Proto, president of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Local 35. "We left the table telling them we're sad and we're willing to talk to them at any time once the strike is on."

Picket lines went up as the business day began. Representatives of Locals 35 and 34 said they expected thousands of employees and supporters to take part. The Rev. Jesse Jackson visited the campus and planned to rally with the mostly clerical, service and maintenance workers.

Newsday

[revcarol]

1. GO,GO,GO!!

We support you. This contract has been under "negotiation" for ages. The university never had any intention of negotiating!! And the university is hiring SCABS!!

go, go, go....you speak for all of us peons.

[KamaAina]

6. They're hiring scabs? That's funny. I just got a letter from Rick Levin...

the Yale president. It was a form letter sent to all alumni. After three glowing paragraphs telling of all the great things Yale is doing, he launched into the propaganda. "It's unfortunate", Levin said, "that the unions haven't looked at our offer..." "Be sure to view any communication from the union critically, as their surveys, etc. have in the past been inaccurate..."

He said nothing about scabs!

In 1984, most classes were held in off-campus venues such as church basements, and in one instance, a downtown office building. This is generally not a problem as Yale is located in downtown New Haven and is surrounded by such facilities.

Back then, it was even possible to eat in one's dorm room, since there was still an Everybody's Food Mart about three blocks down from campus. (It has since given way to a Walgreens.) In fact, I saved a fair chunk of dough out of my meal plan reimbursement of $72.80 a week.

The one thing there most certainly were not were scabs! In our day, we would never have stood for that! Yale is no longer the conservative bastion many, at DU and elsewhere, perceive it to be. Hundreds of us marched in favor of an arbitrated settlement, and it worked -- for a time.

This has been going on for so long that union supporters decided to run a candidate for the Yale Corporation (board of trustees). After a barrage of form letters like the one I got yesterday, and a last-minute nomination of Vietnam Memorial architect Maya Lin (definitely a cut above the usual grownup-student-government types they usually get), he lost.

Also worth mentioning is that Yale is the largest private employer in New Haven. The only other one of any size left is United Illuminating, an electric utility. The phone company got bought out by SBC a while back, leaving a vacant office building downtown (actually two, but Yale bought one and made it into biotech labs). Thus, what happens at Yale helps determine the wage scale throughout the city.

[revcarol]

10. Hey, that's what the article says...

in nice politically correct words...
making do with managers and temporary workers...

"Temporary workers" is the nice name for SCABS.

And considering that this contract has been up for negotiation for such a looooooong time, they had plenty of time to negotiate, but they spent the time lining up their managers and scabs??!!

[KamaAina]

12. I should've used the <sarcasm> meta-tag

I was heaping scorn upon the fancy, highly spun letter from Levin, which was just like all the ones I got when the administration was trying to sink the candidacy of union supporter Rev.Lee for trustee.

The point was that, nearly twenty years later, Yale has gone backward and is now employing scabs, uh, excuse me, temporary workers, when it would not have dared to do so in '84.

[sujan]

2. HURRAY

[revcarol]

3. Bump for labor, for rights that people died for...

:kick:

[veganwitch]

4. the cafeteria ladies at my college

couldnt even mention the word union.

good luck folks!!!

[Cronus Protagonist]

5. I was wondering when the strikes would begin

It's not a real class struggle until the labor forces stand up for their rights.


Fair & Balanced Buttons — The Cronus Connection

[Rose Siding]

7. Howard Dean to Join Yale Strikers

Students For 'Pizza in the Street' on Friday, August 29th
Thursday August 28, 3:54 pm ET


NEW HAVEN, Conn., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Vermont Governor and democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean will join striking Yale workers, returning students and freshmen for "Pizza in the Street" on Friday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. on Wall Street in front of Beinecke Plaza.

Howard Dean will support efforts to negotiate a fair contract. Failing that, Dean has called for binding arbitration as an alternative to striking.

Thousands of secretaries, food service workers, maintenance workers, and researchers walked off their jobs on the day students return to school because of the Yale Corporation's refusal to provide its employees decent pensions, competitive wages and job security.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030828/dcth048_1.html

[KamaAina]

9. Remember, Dean's a Yale alumnus. This is more than just a photo op.

Yale just hates it when alumni, especially the wealthy, powerful kind, don't toe the party line.

There are two other Yale alums in the race. I don't suppose Bush* will show up unless it's to announce he's abolishing the NLRB or something. That leaves Kerry. Will he be there in the next few days, or risk another "Philly cheesesteak"-type incident among us alums?

[YouNotMyBoss]

8. Go for it. It;s a good time to strike.

Strike now while there is a shortage of qualified people looking for work.

Demand more money and better coverage while business is good.

[mbperrin]

11. Go for it!

It has to start somewhere with real action to get back just an inch of the miles and miles stolen!

[prolesunited]

14. And that's exactly why

every time a cheap-labor conservative gets in office, the unemployment rate goes up. They find fear to be a wonderful motivating factor.

What, you don't want to work overtime or every weekend? No, we don't have any money for raises? Health insurance -- sorry you're paying more. And then when you complain, they reply, "Too bad. Just be happy you have a job. We don't care if you walk because we'll find someone who has been out of work for months who we can get even cheaper than you."

People do get more money and perks when a Dem is in office. (Do you remember signing bonuses, company services like dry cleaning and flexible schedules under Clinton? Then all of those gains are eroded.

Proud daughter of a steelworker

[Liberator_Rev]

13. I was there tonight, just behind him.

Maybe I should say behind the three burly body guards immediately behind him. He made a good short speech.

I created a special page for the Yale Strike available from the main page http://www.LiberalsLikeChrist.Org/ .

[0007]

15. btt

*