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On Tuesday, March 31, starting at 5 pm, workers, students and allies will picket to get justice for survivors of employment discrimination by the world’s richest university. Please join us in Harvard Yard at Massachusetts Hall, steps from the Harvard Sq T stop in Cambridge (map). We’ll expose three specific cases of workplace discrimination:
Judy Rouse: an active UNITE HERE shop steward, Judy worked in a dining hall where managers called workers of color derogatory names. Judy was written up for her union activity and even assaulted by a manager. When she called the HUPD* to report the assault, Judy herself was terminated, and slapped with a no-trespass order in a flagrant abuse of police power.
Nassim Kerkache: famous for his dedication on the job, Nassim became a union rep in HUCTW, and stood up to a boss who made racist comments about him & his co-workers. Nassim’s reward was to have the boss tell him to pick between being laid off or demoted three salary grades! Denied promotion in favor of a less-qualified, US-born colleague (who made efforts to help management sweep sexual harassment under the rug), Nassim was fired after he took a disability leave.
Paul Casey: employed for 30+ years, Paul was targeted by an administrator who perceived him as disabled and tried to get him to quit. After taking an approved leave to have his hip replaced, Paul pushed himself to return to his busy job. He came back to work only to be told a few weeks later that he would be laid off due to “lack of work.” His job duties were simply assigned to co-workers.
PHONE/EMAIL ZAP: Please call or email William Murphy, Harvard’s Director of Labor Relations, any time at 617 496-9193, bill_murphy@harvard.edu. Suggested message, “I am appalled by convincing narratives of discrimination against terminated employees Judy Rouse, Nassim Kerkache and Paul Casey. I call on you to use all your influence to see that their cases are promptly resolved! Failure to do so will invite further consequences.”
For more information about workplace discrimination at Harvard, please visit twoharvards.wordpress.com.
Harvard University Police Department
Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers