the guy by the door …

Harvard’s Union of Clerical and Technical Workers refuses to use the web to keep it’s membership updated about what’s going on. They have had a domain registered [http://www.huctw.org] for several years, but it has been either dark or parked all that time. Union leadership argues that they get anything they want posted by “Harvard”. In this case, “Harvard” actually means administration. Kris Rondeau says that “Harvard” is good about learning to everyone except us [HUCTW]. Well, when it is routinized and controlled by administration what can you expect? On the other hand, workers who have direct relationships with faculty can have a much better time of it. Take for example our own Berkoblog facilitator Wendy. In this case, “Harvard” is Berkmeister John Palfrey. Wendy seems to have learned quite a lot. [Thank you sir.] Kris Rondeau made her career on her relationship with Ann Taylor. Ann was an administrator, so Kris’s relationship was with administration. Also, Ann’s gone. In addition to years of no progress on the learning front, living in the past cost us $2 million in wages. HUCTW should not forfeit learning issues to administration. In many cases, learning issues means technology. Our presence on the web – leadership and rank-and-file – is the quickest way to make clear to all that we are capable of learning the important new tools. The administration will continue to claim being “progressive”. Their program of deskilling jobs for the purpose of outsourcing and turning over older workers for younger – to cut salary costs – will continue. Unless, that is, we make the cognitive dissonance so apparent that it cannot be ignored.

A more developed and polished argument will eventually appear at: http://www.openhuctw.org .

-r