Two different handbills are currently being circulated among University employees. One, a simulated dollar bill, states on one side: "FOR REAL MONEY VOTE AFL". On the other side there is a personal message from George Meany, President of the AFL-CIO. It reads:

"I extend to each employee at Harvard University a cordial invitation to join with over sixteen million American workingmen in pursuit for higher wages, improved working conditions and our just share in the prosperity of the nation."

The second handbill--a larger one--states in part: "Let's all roll up our sleeves ... '57 is AFL Year at Harvard ... Let's bring a REAL, militant fighting union into Harvard... Your group should be with us!"

For the second time in four years, the AFL is waging an all-out campaign to enlist unskilled University employees. In 1954 the national union was soundly defeated; this spring Local 254 of the AFL Building Service Employees' International Union has assigned five full-time organizers to see that it does not happen again and to assure the addition of 1,100 new members to its ranks.

The employees affected--janitors, groundsmen, maids, maintenance men, and other unskilled groups--have been represented since 1938 by a company Union, the Harvard University Employees' Representative Association. The officers of that group assert that they know of no serious dissatisfaction among their members, and claim that "the AFL hasn't a prayer of a chance here."

But several employee groups have withdrawn from the HUERA within the past few years. Just this month the bindery workers voted to join an AFL craft union, and employees of the Department of Athletics would enter Local 254, if the State Labor Relations Board upholds the Local's protest on two decisive votes cast in a jurisdictional election May 21.

Ineffectual Representation

AFL organizers have built their campaign around charges that the company union has represented its members ineffectively. As a result, they claim, the University has fallen behind MIT (whose employees belong to Local 254) in wages, working conditions, and fringe benefits.

"The HUERA is dead!" charges Edward T. Sullivan, chairman of the 3,000 member Local. "It isn't representing anybody."

Officers of the HUERA show no reluctance in picking up this challenge, however. They have compiled facts and figures to try to show that wages and benefits for University employees top those at institutions other than MIT, which the Local represents: Radcliffe, BU, Simmons, and Tufts.

They admit that MIT wage rates are "slightly" higher than those at Harvard, but point out that the University lacks the income from government contracts which make possible higher scales. "And don't forget that our wage agreement comes up for revision at the end of June," adds Thomas F. Stone, president of the HUERA.

Harvard has traditionally held a place of leadership among Eastern universities in wage rates. "Every term in our contract hasn't always been better than others'," notes John Teele, "but we've consistently been on the upper edge."

Sullivan admits only that the University has "comparable" rates. "If Harvard wants to be second in anything, we think they should publish it. Harvard is a leader in other fields, and should lead in wages, too.

"We won't be satisfied with anything less than five cents an hour above MIT rates," he asserts, hastily adding that "the members frame the demands and elect negotiators, but we know in general what we'll be looking for."

Sullivan terms his a "strong union" and claims that it would be able to back up its demands at the bargaining table. He thinks the HUERA lacks the strength and contractual right to assert its demands.