Yale University's decision to subcontract service and maintenance work for a new research building has intensified already-heated tension surrounding stalled contract negotiations. This is the most recent flare-up in a long history of troubled labor relations at Yale.
In April, Yale offered to give the service and maintenance work in all new buildings to Local 35, one of the two largest Yale unions, if an agreement was made on performance standards.
No agreement was reached, however, and the university decided to outsource the work.
The unions blame Yale for the failure to reach a best-practices agreement, which would spell out performance and management standards.
The university "wanted an agreement entirely on Yale's terms" and "not in the spirit of partnership," said Bill Meyerson, spokesman for the Federation of Hospital and University Employees -- an alliance that includes Local 34 and Local 35 of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union.
Meyerson called the university's move to subcontract "provocative" and "not in the spirit of attempting to reach a contract."
Tom Conroy, spokesman for Yale, defended the university's decision. He said that an agreement was not made that would "allow the unions to earn the work" in the new building, but the university has given the unions some of the labor: the service and maintenance work in Yale's Timothy Dwight College building.
There are no immediate plans to return to the negotiating table, although Meyerson said they were "ready to negotiate any time."
The last contracts were six-year agreements that were scheduled to expire Jan. 20, 2002. Those contracts have been extended until at least Dec. 1.
Conroy called the university's relationship with the unions "historically contentious."
In the 60 years that unions have existed at Yale, Meyerson said there have been 11 strikes -- "one Yale tradition that we're calling to end."
The union members have voted to authorize their negotiating committees to call for strikes, but the committees have no immediate plans to do so.
The unions have been aggressively campaigning in their push to unionize the hospital and graduate teachers.
Five years ago, the Yale unions formed FHUE to represent Local 34 and Local 35 along with the graduate teachers and Yale-New Haven Hospital employees that are attempting to unionize.
Meyerson said graduate teachers and hospital workers have been very receptive to the campaign. The unions call on Yale to "sit down and agree to a fair process by which they can make this decision without intimidation."
In a controversial incident, Yale-New Haven Hospital security officers arrested union supporters that were leafleting on hospital grounds in September to promote the unionization of hospital workers.
In response, the New Haven Board of Aldermen passed a resolution on Monday recommending that the arrest-making powers of the hospital security officers be revoked.
Meyerson said what the unions want Yale to do is "seriously talk about the real concerns of the workers ... in the areas of training and career development, pensions, and the right of other workers to choose to unionize."
In contrast to the tense labor relations in New Haven, the situation at Dartmouth has historically been more placid.
Earl Sweet, president of Service Employees International Union Local 560 at Dartmouth, called the relationship with Dartmouth "fairly warm."
Local 560 represents 430 service employees at Dartmouth and just recently unionized Safety and Security.
Sweet said that the union has not been affected by budget cuts but complained about the inadequacy of the number of workers for Dartmouth Dining Services. He said that this creates a myriad of problems including employees working too many hours and safety issues.
