Please consider lending your voice and support for the fair and equal treatment of all employees at the Harvard University Libraries, especially as it relates to keeping the status quo of both scheduling of break time and duration of break times at the Harvard University Libraries, which has remained the same for the better part of two decades as routine, equitable, and without issue, establishing clear precedent and past practice in this case.

This established past practice, clear precedent, and working routine had allowed guards to thrive and cheerfully serve students and staff at the libraries with mutual respect and care as part of the Harvard community at large.

As you can imagine, and many of you know and experience, lunch time in Harvard Square can be very busy and some guards posted at libraries (Fine Arts for Example) have to travel quite a ways to pick up or order food, then make it back in time, even given the full hour of time to do so.

Many security officers are also discouraged but definitely not prohibited from eating at their posts in order to keep things clean and presentable, especially since we handle books to scan them on the way out - the time was a necessary perk which worked well for everyone and was mutually beneficial - we wouldn't want greasy pizza fingers, or Dorito dust on those manuscripts now!

Decades of peaceful and productive working conditions were upset by a memo recently from Securitas FAS Area Manager Robert M. Sabater, approved by Harvard Building Manager for FAS Library Facilities at Harvard University, Christopher Daley (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-daley-86a6185b/ and Associate Director of FAS Library Facilities at Harvard University Stavroula Birmbas (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stavroula-birmbas-aia-54600a19/ essentially cutting the lunch breaks in half overnight and completely eliminating the 15 minute coffee/restroom breaks which every other member of the community and all other staff enjoy, and guards watch as these folks pass by. It is effectively a form of punishment, which relegates guards to a subclass of second class citizens at best - even as Harvard publicly espouses diversity, equity and inclusion in all things. It's a slap in the face!

The break schedule and duration of those breaks for some employees at the Harvard University Libraries was recently altered overnight, so as to eliminate between 50-75% of total break time for those employees who were impacted by eliminating short, scheduled, 15 minute breaks entirely and cutting lunch breaks in half.

First, they came for the unionized security guards' break time.

Then they tried to take it from in house, unionized, HUCTW, Harvard University Library door checkers, who do the exact same job, at the exact same locations as guards do, albeit in plain clothes, and at higher rates of pay and benefits. 

That didn't go so well because they too had a UNION CONTRACT.

Who's next?

All digital signatures are uploaded confidentially and only the total number of signatures will ultimately be shared. Retaliation, discrimination, and disparate treatment are alive and well at Harvard University for those brave enough to speak out for workers on campus and we want to safeguard against that as much as possible.

We appreciate all of your support and solidarity.

See you in the stacks!

 

Please also consider signing and sharing the following petitions to show Harvard University they can't discriminate and retaliate against workers on campus, cut benefits guards had for 2 decades overnight, or punish guards for using their collective bargaining agreement and knowing their rights!

https://www.change.org/BREAKSBACKNOW

https://www.change.org/JUSTICEFORJAMESNOW

https://www.change.org/BRINGLANCEBACK

https://www.change.org/MIKEBACKNOW

 

Additional Resources: 

 

HARVARD'S WAGE AND BENEFIT POLICY:

https://procurement.harvard.edu/wage-benefit-parity

https://hr.harvard.edu/wage-benefit-parity

https://catherwood.library.cornell.edu/wit/harvard-agrees-to-raise-wages-of-lowest-paid/

 

HARVARD'S ROLE AS JOINT EMPLOYER:

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/11/2/nlrb-contracting-case-harvard/

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/9/27/securitas-retaliation-complaint/

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/30/securitas-retaliation-case-settled/