Harvard Union Protests Racist Layoffs at Commencement
by Boston IMC (No verified email address)	31 May 2013
Members of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers marched at Harvard commencement to protest the racist layoffs of three of their members.
Sarah, Darlene and Paul, three Harvard employees with a combined 72 years of experience, were recently terminated by the university, in spite of decades of quality work, excellent productivity, and outstanding performance reviews. Sarah and Darlene are black, and Paul is a 50-year-old who recently had surgery. Younger white workers with inferior productivity scores were retained and even promoted in their places. While Sarah and Darlene have filed a complaint with the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination, some members of the HUCTW felt that was not enough. Together with members of the Industrial Workers of the World and Harvard's Student Labor Action Movement they mounted a small but spirited protest at Harvard commencement. About 30 protesters marched around Harvard Square and the Harvard campus chanting and passing out hundreds of flyers. A large bird-shaped puppet was on hand to provide color. Police presence was limited to one Harvard cop shadowing the march on a Segway, which was equipped with a front training wheel, presumably for added safety.