Broad support for Yale strikers

by Joelle Fishman

Downtown New Haven came to a standstill September 13 as more than 10,000 
union members from the Northeast and as far away as Nevada and Florida 
turned out in support of striking university and hospital workers at Yale 
University.

The busloads of needle trades workers, carpenters, labourers, steel 
workers, transit workers, healthcare workers, hotel workers, and students 
crossed industry lines and geographical boundaries in the cause of equality 
and workers' rights.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and four international union Presidents set 
the example by leading over 100 workers in civil disobedience at the end of 
a spirited march which filled the city streets for nearly a mile. As the 
workers sat down in a major intersection, they held hands and faced outward 
to the crowd.

"We have no choice but to fight", said one clerical and technical worker 
who was arrested. Many of the workers had never taken part in such an 
action before. The demonstration was one of the largest in New Haven's 
history.

Picket signs highlighted the US$42,000 monthly pension Yale President 
Richard Levin will receive as compared to US$621 for the average union 
retiree. A quarter of the unionised workers are expected to retire during 
the life of the next contract.

On September 17, the Connecticut AFL-CIO marched from their annual 
convention to join striking workers and retirees who are holding a daily 
vigil at President Levin's office until decent pensions are won.

National attention has also been focused on the university's discriminatory 
hiring practices. Only three percent of Yale workers are Latino in a city 
with a 20 percent Latino population. Hiring from the community, training 
and upgrading is a union demand.

Community leaders and elected officials reacted in outrage when the 
university brought a group of Latino workers, hired by a janitorial 
contractor in place of the largely African American striking workers, 
provocatively across a picket line on September 8.

Following a press conference organised by the Connecticut Center for a New 
Economy, Rep. Rosa DeLauro and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus 
issued a public letter to "strongly condemn Yale's cynical and 
disrespectful treatment of Hispanic/Latino workers".

Within two days, 13 Puerto Rican, Mexican and Guatemalan workers walked off 
the job and joined the union. They reported bigotry and abuse from Yale 
managers. "The same way we came in the back door, we want to come in the 
front door", said Angelica Aponte at an emotional press conference on the 
New Haven Green. "We want union jobs at Yale, not scab jobs."

"These are our new sisters and brothers", proclaimed Hotel Employees and 
Restaurant Employees (HERE) Local 35 President Bob Proto, welcoming the 
workers as heroes.

The striking workers are holding firm despite daily propaganda aimed at 
scaring them to go back to work.

Striking clerical and technical workers have had some success at convincing 
co-workers who did not originally strike to come onto the picket line and 
join the strike.

Large national contributions to the strike fund have made it possible for 
the union to provide substantial "picket pay" and other aid to forestall 
evictions, foreclosures or repossessions.

Strikers have also received support from over 100 professors who called on 
the university to negotiate or submit to binding arbitration, and who are 
holding 300 classes at off-campus locations including restaurants, 
churches, community centres and City Hall.

Students from 21 campuses organised by United Students Against Sweatshops 
participated in the labour rally and march.

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People's Weekly World (abridged) http://www.pww.org