THU 7/30 12 NOON -- PICKET AGAINST ABLEISM & DISCRIMINATION AT HARVARD, PLUS EMAIL ZAP!

[Geoff Carens]

Dear All,

This Thursday, July 30, starting at 12 noon, workers, students & community members will demonstrate their support for HUCTW* member Patricia, under attack by ableist, racist managers. We'll gather in front of Harvard's Smith Campus Center at 1350 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Harvard Square MBTA Station, next to Au Bon Pain). Please join us!

Background: Patricia returned from a disability leave to face unfair discipline and harassment. Management tries to make her job more difficult, denies her needed accommodations, and subjects her to hyper-supervision. White co-workers enjoy flexibility and autonomy, while Patricia (the only African American in her unit) is constantly under the magnifying glass. She recently received a written warning threatening her with being fired. Patricia is a dedicated, long-serving cataloger who worked her way through library school while employed at Harvard.

Email zap: Please email Harvard Labor Relations at susannah_scannell@harvard.edu. Please cc: geoff....@gmail.com. Suggested text:

"I am troubled to hear that Harvard is trying to separate Patricia Glaspie from her employment. Harvard should know better than to single out a woman of color who has a disability for discriminatory discipline. Please use your influence to ensure that Patricia is transferred to an at least comparable position. Failure to do so will invite further consequences."

The attacks on Patricia emerge in the context of a general offensive against workers by Harvard, which has an endowment approaching $33 billion and recently received the largest gift in its history ($400 million). The world's richest University is forcing huge increases in medical costs on its workers, setting the stage for mass layoffs by outsourcing the work of unionized library employees, and preventing workers of color from advancing in their jobs. Please feel free to forward this email as widely as possible.

For Boston's Industrial Workers of the World,

Geoff

*Harvard Union of Clerical & Technical Workers