Op-ed: Tufts should fulfill progressive values, hire union-only labor

Why did you choose Tufts? Was it in part because of its reputation for responsible, active citizenship? Or were you drawn to its values of social justice and progressivism?

Us too. But much to our disappointment, our administration’s actions have shown the opposite to be true. While the Tufts administration claims to foster a society for active citizens, it continues to disrespect the working people who keep our campus clean and growing — especially construction workers. In fact, they’ve expressed a callous disregard for the livelihood of these workers. In a meeting with the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, Vice President of Operations Linda Snyder said, "You're going to have to come to terms with the fact that your members won't be able to send their kids to a school like Tufts." This blatant classism behind closed doors is the manifestation of an attitude that is accepted by the administration in both philosophy and practice.

Every time Tufts decides to build a new building, the administration is faced with a choice between hiring a contractor that uses union-only labor or one that does not. The difference is significant — non-unionized workers are not guaranteed an adequate benefits package, proper safety training and equipment and an avenue to address grievances in the workplace. And the difference in wages is astounding. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, housed by the U.S. Department of Labor, union workers on average made $1099 a week in 2015 while non-unionized workers made only $743.

Where does Tufts stand? According to the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, only one of Tufts current construction projects on the Medford campus uses union-only labor. The next time you pass by the new Science and Engineering Complex, slated to open in 2017, know that Tufts refused to hire unionized electricians, despite the fact that the union and non-union deal would have the same price tag. Tufts cuts these corners in the name of convenience and a higher profit margin. This not-for-profit institution certainly doesn’t act like one. Keep in mind that President Monaco pocketed a whopping $845,690 in 2014, while Executive Vice President Patricia Campbell and Linda Snyder followed closely behind with annual compensations of $535,984 and $296,126, respectively. Not to mention, Tufts’ endowment has risen sky-high in recent years, now totaling $1.6 billion. While Campbell and Snyder have stated that the university’s budget is too tight to hire unions, the numbers show otherwise. This choice isn’t about saving money for students — it’s about deepening the pockets of administrators at the expense of working class people.

Students from Tufts Labor Coalition (TLC) have raised these concerns to the administration only to be met with evasive non-answers and a lack of transparency about their hiring standards. In multiple meetings with representatives from the Building Trades Council and from TLC, Linda Snyder and Patricia Campbell have hidden their supposed standards for wages, benefits and workplace practices during the bidding process for a contract. Their documentation of having hired fair labor, they say, is private. The only available proof points to the contrary: Turner Construction, the company contracted for the Science and Engineering Complex, was fined nearly $95,000 for 90 safety violations during a project in 2012.

In a meeting in April, Linda Snyder said it herself — she told two TLC representatives that she “would prefer to hire unions” to build Tufts campus. But President Monaco has defended their practices saying, “we’re not obligated to hire unions.” In practice, Tufts goes against the very values it claim to instill in its students, whether it is an "obligation" or not. What’s clear is the administration’s complete disregard for working class people.

It wouldn’t be difficult for Tufts to prioritize the safety and dignity of building trades workers. In fact, Tufts would merely be following in the footsteps of nearly every comparable school in the Boston area. Boston College, MIT and Northeastern University all hire union-only labor for their major building projects. And these aren’t new policies — our neighbor down the road in Cambridge, Harvard University, signed a formal agreement to hire union-only labor way back in the early '90s. Compared to neighboring schools, Tufts’ poor hiring practices stick out like a sore thumb — especially in light of our supposed commitment to social justice.

Who do you consider to be part of the Tufts community? Do you include not just students, faculty and staff but also the people who work tirelessly to ensure that your student experience is clean and safe? Administrators like Tony Monaco, Linda Snyder and Patricia Campbell don’t. This is happening on our watch, and we won’t stand for it.

 

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