Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers
Name Entries
corporateBody
Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers
Name Components
Name :
Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers
HUCTW
Name Components
Name :
HUCTW
Genders
Exist Dates
Biographical History
In May 1988, 4000 Harvard employess in offices, laboratories and libraries chose to be represented by the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, which was affiliated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Kristine Rondeau was the lead organizer for HUCTW.
Labor organizing of clerical and technical workers at Harvard University dates to the early 1970s in the Harvard Medical Area. Frustrated by poor treatment and low wages, a group of women research assistants, graduate students, and faculty members began meeting to discuss workplace conditions affecting women. Led by laboratory assistant Leslie Sullivan, graduate student Norma Swenson, and Associate Dean for Student Affairs Mary Howell, the Harvard Medical School Women’s Group challenged sexism at Harvard. That effort would soon splinter, leading Sullivan to focus her efforts on improving workplace conditions for all clerical and technical staff in the Harvard Medical area. She was supported by organizers including Marlene Goldman, Edie Brickman, Kristin Mahon, Jeanne Lafferty, John Rees, Jeremy Pool, Richard Pendleton, Drago Clifton, and later, Kristine (Kris) Rondeau, a research assistant at the Harvard School of Public Health. Sullivan and Rondeau met at an organizing committee meeting in 1977. Rondeau’s dedication and skill soon elevated her to a leadership role in the fifteen-year effort to organize the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW), which represents all support staff, including secretaries, library and laboratory assistants, and accounting clerks, among many others. Leaders of the HUCTW campaign included Maria Manna, Martha Robb, Jeanne Lafferty, and William (Bill) Jaeger; many other organizers volunteered their time. On May 17, 1988, approximately 3,400 employees - 82 percent of whom were women - voted in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) -sanctioned election to be represented by the HUCTW, an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The election made HUCTW the largest union of clerical and technical workers at any private university in the United States.
The following chronology provides a brief history of the successful organizing efforts:
eng
Latn
External Related CPF
https://viaf.org/viaf/149095611
https://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n97008943
https://id.loc.gov/authorities/n97008943
Other Entity IDs (Same As)
Sources
Loading ...
Resource Relations
Loading ...
Internal CPF Relations
Loading ...
Languages Used
Subjects
Labor unions
Women labor leaders
Nationalities
Activities
Occupations
Legal Statuses
Places
Massachusetts
AssociatedPlace
Convention Declarations
<conventionDeclaration><citation>VIAF</citation></conventionDeclaration>