For almost a month, Local 34's strike has brought the organization into the red. But a recent donation from sympathizers has saved the union from financial oblivion. While the strike is meant to show solidarity among Yale employees, the reality of the situation leaves strike leaders more concerned about fiscal solvency than the issues at hand.
The union's dire financial plight was alleviated by an $11,000 donation in support of Local 34 strikers, from the labor organization Connecticut Citizens for Justice for Yale Workers. The generous gift is the largest sum to come Local 34's way recently, which significantly helps the Federation of University Employees deal with the challenge of making ends meet.
"Striking is not something you do with economics in mind," Deborah Chernoff, union spokesperson, said. "There's a lot more at hand than just losing your paycheck for a few weeks." Currently, union expenses include a weekly $100 wage paid to members who strike a minimum of 20 hours per week, as well as unexpected costs like a rented Winnebago parked on Hillhouse Ave. as a place for strikers to warm their hands and grab a bite to eat.
The Connecticut Citizens for Justice is a "group that started up when the strike began and is co-chaired by a fairly broad group of labor, political, and community leaders," according to Bill Meyerson, organizer for District 1199, the New England health care employees union.
Meyerson said those involved "felt it was important to raise money for workers on strike because of the impact the strike could have on working conditions across the state." He noted that Yale's labor woes were especially significant because of Yale's "notoriety and the size of its workforce," Yale's labor struggles could serve as an example for unions across the state.
The $11,000 donation represents only part of the total sum of money donated to Local 34. According to Chernoff, money has come from virtually everywhere. In particular she mentioned an anonymous Yale faculty member who donated what he identified as a week's salary, because "he felt he should do his part."
Private donations and those from other unions add to the $100 per week many Local 35 members give. The total fund currently amounts to over $100,000.
Members of various community organizations have joined forces to create groups to aid the unions. Connecticut Citizens for Justice's co-chairs include John Olsen, president of the AFL-CIO; Lynn Ide of the Legislative Electoral Action Project; Connecticut's Deputy Secretary of State Merrilee Milstein; and Joyce Poole, president of the African-American Women's Agenda.
Director of Public Affairs Gary Fryer said that the Yale Administration feels no frustration at the amount of support present for the uinons. "According to The Advocate, [the unions] raised around one million dollars in 1984," he said.
Meyerson pointed out that the 1984 strike was "a very critical struggleŠas it confirmed to everyone the fact of solidarity between blue and white collar workers." Many believe that the importance of the 1984 strike, and its profound impact on Yale at the time, has greatly contributed to the large sum of money raised by the uinon this year.
However, the unions spent every dollar earned for the 1984 strike, leaving Local 34 without significant funds to begin the current work stoppage. "We don't have money sitting in our pockets," Chernoff said. "Every donation we get goes right out towards funding the strike." In 1984, the unions relied heavily on donations just as they do now, and "we didn't have a lot of leftover money sitting around when it was over," Chernoff said.
Meyerson expressed a frustration with Yale shared by many in the unions. "The members of the Yale Corporation are mirroring what they see in the outside world by using corporate hard-ball rhetoric and insisting they can't remain competitive if they give in to union terms," Meyerson said. "Yale's primary concern should be education," he said, "and it's ironic since Yale claims a higher standard-they claim to be an example of liberal thought and ethics for the rest of the world.ŠIt's disturbing and jarring for them to behave the way they are." As an example, Meyerson cited a statistic indicating that "less than a third of one percent of [Yale's] endowment could settle the contract negotiations on the union's terms."
In the meantime, Local 34 prepares to hand the baton to Local 35 in a few weeks, and their cause continues to survive from day to day on donations. Meyerson said support from the Connecticut Citizens for Justice will not stop with the $11,000 donation. "Fundraising and direct mail to individuals will continue," he said.
Copyright 1996, The Yale Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
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