Yale faces second labor strike of the year

Picket lines began appearing around Yale University's campus for the second time this year as the school's clerical and technical employees went on strike at 6 a.m. yesterday. Four-month-old negotiations between Local 34 -- the union that represents the striking employees -- and the Yale administration came to halt Tuesday. And no further talks are scheduled until next week, according to Local 34's chief negotiator Michael Boyle. Local 34's labor contract expired last night at midnight. The university is attempting to cut budget costs by reducing wages and lowering health benefits. If the strike lasts for more than four weeks, Local 34 will go back to work and Local 35, the service and maintenance employees, will have the option to strike, according to Boyle. "The idea is that we're assuming the university wants a long strike and so by using this kind of strategy we're trying to avoid letting the university from starving us," he said. "No one can afford to go on a long strike." Replacement workers will not be brought in during the strike, Yale President Richard Levin said in a statement. At the beginning of the year, Local 34 made a wage proposal to the university that the administration said was the turning point in negotiations. But Yale spokesperson Gary Fryer said that the negotiations were going slower than administrators had hoped. A health care package that would save the university money while maintaining key benefits for employees is the only point of agreement at this time between the two parties. According to Fryer, the union representatives asked for a five percent raise increase to cover the rising cost of living in New Haven, Conn. The administration wants to change dining hall workers' salaries from an $11 per hour, year-long contract to an $8 per hour, 30-week contract, according to Boyle. They also want the exclusive right to subcontract university positions without any limitations from the union, he added. The university has continued to use strong-arm tactics against the union during the negotiation process, Boyle said. The administration has informed its non-striking workers that the union can not be discussed in any capacity at the workplace. Employees that are not on strike are contributing $100 a week to the strikers' fund. The striking employees are also supported by the Graduate Students and Employees Organization, which recently completed an unsuccessful grade strike -- gaining no concessions from the administration. Disciplinary actions were taken against three of the striking teaching assistants -- ending with one graduate student losing her spring teaching appointment. Yale does not officially recognize GESO as a union but as a student organization that does not have labor rights. GESO members have moved 250 classes to off-campus locations in support of Local 34, Boyle said. But Fryer said that students will not be greatly affected by the strike.