On December 10, at 3:00 PM, we will drop off a signed petition to Provost Alan Garber, asking that he revoke the Harvard Club's right to use the Harvard name unless they fix the labor issues we have highlighted.

Immediately after, we will meet in front of the Holyoke Center to hear from workers at the Harvard Club and representatives from Harvard College organizations.

http://tinyurl.com/ProvostPetition

Harvard Club of Boston is stripping workers of benefits and political voice in Harvard’s name.

In 2012 Harvard Club of Boston settled a lawsuit for $4 million dollars after employees said Harvard Club was misleading members and “stealing tips.”Now, the Club is once again squeezing its workers, this time trying to strip them of hard won benefits.

First, the Club has imposed a new healthcare plan and proposed another with higher copays, higher deductibles and unknown coverage. Harvard Club is shifting costs onto the backs of workers and creating obstacles to care at the price of workers’ health. In addition, while in negotiations the Club took away workers’ life insurance and disability benefits with little prior notice

The Club wants to eliminate contract language that allows workers to contribute easily to their voluntary political fund, which is used by the workers’ union to translate campaign materials, register voters, and fight for immigration reform. It costs the employer nothing.

The Club has also fought attempts to expand their contributions to a legal fund that allows workers subsidized legal services. Harvard Club members currently have 15 open legal cases through this benefit with nearly 100 cases over the life of the previous contract. A major use of this benefit is to get help with immigration.

Finally, the Club wants to eliminate the workers’ pension plan to one in which, instead of receiving guaranteed payments, the workers’ rewards will change based on the ups and downs of the market.

Changes to the health care and pension plans push huge burdens and risks onto the Harvard Club workers. If these changes go into effect, a serious illness or economic downturn could spell financial ruin for a worker. The attempts to limit the political and legal fund further decrease the political representation and rights of the workers at the Harvard Club, many of whom are Latino immigrants.

According to Provost Alan Garber, we, as members of the Harvard community, have the "responsibility" to protect "the value that the use of the Harvard name produces."1 Pushing risks onto workers and decreasing their political power are not in line with the values of Harvard.

We call upon the Provost to deny the Harvard Club the right to use Harvard's name if these issues are not rectified by February 1 and to meet with concerned representatives of the Harvard community regarding this abuse of Harvard’s good name.

1. http://trademark.harvard.edu/policy-on-use-of-harvard-names-and-insignias