Word: working
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Butler explained that painters and helpers often do the same work so that the helpers can gain experience in the trade...
...Office says that it hired blacks in order to train them as painters, on the assumption that when they became proficient they would be raised to journeymen. The facts, according to the painters and their union officials. present a quite different story. All of the black painters' helpers now working at Harvard were required to give references attesting to their previous painting experience. Many of the white helpers are experienced as well. When they came to Harvard for an interview they were told either that they weren't qualified, or. that there were no openings for painters and, that...
...Harvard pays the helpers $2.86 an hour, while the journeymen who do the same work receive $3.72. Not that Harvard pays the full painters what it should. Journeymen painters in the Boston area working under a union contract receive $5.90 an hour ($6.90 come January). Larry Hodston, the shop steward of the Harvard painters, believes that this is the reason that Harvard originally started the "helper-3rd class" category which was not provided in the union contract signed two years ago. "Harvard couldn't even get a nibble from journeymen painters, even after an advertisement in a Boston newspaper." said...
...University says that the helpers have a regular grievance procedure whereby they can protest if they feel that they have enough experience to be journeymen. As one helper said recently, "a white painter filed two grievances, and ever since he's been given shit work and gets needled constantly." A white painter who has painted for Harvard for more than fifteen years said, "If you file a grievance, it'll hurt you later. Everyone knows this." Painters' helpers who have asked for promotion because of their experience have been told they have a "bad attitude" toward their work and have...
...Harvard wants to train painters, then it should set up a program which does that-one that doesn't require references from previous jobs. It should also pay the trainees the same as the other painters because they will be doing the same work. The University should negotiate these things with the union now, when a new contract is being drawn up. The present helpers should be promoted and paid a wage equal to the journeymen's. It is time the University stopped hiring blacks for less, under false pretenses, so that it can save money. Harvard employed 60 journeymen...