Local 560, the union representing over 400 College employees -- including Dining Service employees, grounds workers, painters and custodians -- will begin negotiations with the College for a new contract sometime next week, according to Union President Earl F. Sweet.
The contract under which the union has operated since 1997 is set to expire on July 1.
Relations between colleges and employees have received particular attention in recent weeks since students at Harvard University staged a sit-in to demand a minimum "living wage" of $10.25 per hour for all Harvard workers. The sit-in concluded recently when protestors reached a settlement with the university that included provisions for the creation of a committee that will make recommendations on university policy regarding lower-paid workers.
While Sweet -- who has served as union president for 13 years -- does not predict any similar sort of activity to occur at Dartmouth (where the minimum hourly wage for union employees is $11.50), he admitted that "anything is possible."
In fact, Local 560 has had its moments of discontent. Twice in the past, union members have worked without a contract until an agreement was reached between the College and the union.
In 1994, the College and the union negotiated for seven months to establish a new contract. Union members were angered at the conversion of eight non-union jobs from 12-month positions to one-month positions. They also bargained for a new dental plan.
After a five-hour picket outside of Parkhurst, 18 meetings and several threatened protests, the two sides reached an agreement, albeit four months late.
According to Sweet, this year's key issue will be subcontracting -- the act of hiring workers or groups outside of the union to perform limited-time tasks. Such workers do not receive the same benefits as College employees and often work for lower wages.
Recently, the College has undertaken the practice of subcontracting with greater frequency and "we are quite concerned about that," Sweet said.
The union would instead prefer that the College hire more full-time employees. In addition to strengthening the union's numbers, Sweet said that more full-time employees, as opposed to subcontractors, bring students a greater sense of comfort and consistency.
"I'm sure you feel more secure when you know the face of the custodian in your dorm," he explained.
In fact, Sweet reached a separate agreement with the College in which the College agreed not subcontract out custodial work last year. Other employment sectors of the College, however, including groundswork and general labor, may still be subcontracted out.
The present contract allows for unlimited subcontracting -- excluding custodial work -- as long as it does not lead to layoffs of College employees.
Sweet hopes that he, along with a negotiating committee comprised of seven other employee representatives, will able to participate with College administrators in a meaningful discussion about why the administration feels it is necessary to hire subcontractors.
Sweet does not expect talks to be as contentious as they were in 1994.
"I'm hoping that the College will be sympathetic to our concerns," he said.
Although it is unclear which administrators will be meeting with the negotiating committee this year, the group is traditionally composed of the College's director of human resources and various department heads.
Local 560 was formed in 1966 by a group of College employees under the National Labor Relations Act, which provided the opportunity for individuals to bargain collectively. It is part of both the Service Employees International Union -- the third-fastest growing union in the country -- and in the AFL-CIO labor union.
