| Username |
Post |
| Harvar University |
Posted
on 17-Dec-01 02:02 PM
Thulo Naam - Thorai Daam!!!!!
BOSTON, Massachusetts (Reuters) -- Harvard University, one of the world's richest universities, is stingy when it comes to paying hourly workers, according to a report released Monday by an alumni group that has campaigned for increased wages.
"Some of the members of the nonprofessional staff are paid so little they're eligible for food stamps," said Ira Arlook, a spokesman for Harvard Alumni for a Living Wage.
Arlook's group supported students who last May staged a 21-day sit-in at the Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus that sought a minimum wage of $10.25 an hour for janitors and other workers, some of whom earned less than $7 an hour.
The report shows Harvard, with an $18 billion endowment, paid some workers a starting hourly wage of $9.65. About 1,000 workers, including contract workers and those directly employed by Harvard, earned less than $10.68 an hour, qualifying most for the federal food stamp program.
That is far less than the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a cross-town rival which pays its workers $14.39 an hour; or Boston University which pays $14.97 an hour; or Wellesley College which pays $15.26 an hour. MIT's endowment stands at $6.5 billion, while Boston University has $662 million and Wellesley College has about $780 million.
Harvard administrators have remained mum about the issue pending recommendations due later this week from a commission appointed after the May protests. A preliminary report released in October showed the number of Harvard direct employees paid below the so-called "living wage" increased from 170 in September 1994 to 424 in March 2001.
The "Harvard Living Wage Campaign," supported by the alumni group, has urged school officials to pay employees at least $12 an hour and subsidize health insurance and child care.
The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group, Wider Opportunities for Women, estimates that parents must each earn at least $11.97 an hour at full-time jobs, generating an annual income of about $43,000, to support a family of four in the Boston area.
The U.S. minimum wage is $5.15 an hour, compared with $6.75 in Massachusetts.
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| Sangey |
Posted
on 17-Dec-01 02:48 PM
I don't see anything wrong with Harvard paying little. They get what they pay for. If Harvard is getting good quality of people with less salary, then that probably means there are other attractive benefits - in Harvard's case, it would be the "name." My point is, the market will correct itself and settle on an equilibrium. Harvard will pay as little as possible to get acceptable grade of worker, who in turn have the minimum they will settle for to work in an institution of such fame.
When I was in my economics doctorate program, my dean used to say that the graduating class can be divided into three groups. The people who are in lowest third academically (note that this is a relative reference, academically lowest still means those who are good enough to graduate with PhD) make the most money working for commercial firms such as Goldman Sachs or Lehman Brothers. Those who are in the middle tier make comfortable living teaching in liberal arts colleges such as Grinnell College or Fresno State. The top tier graduates tend to make the least amount of salary by working in research institutions with good name such as Harvard or Northwestern.
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| 93454475 |
Posted
on 17-Dec-01 02:54 PM
Sangey! I think you are comparing apples and oranges here. While a grduating PHD might be attracted with the Research-- what is there for janitors. Yeah I work at Harvard cleaning toilets?? I clean the elite shit!!! I don't think so.
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| Sangey |
Posted
on 17-Dec-01 03:13 PM
Dear 93454475,
You might disagree, but I think the argument will still stand there as well. Granted that janitors will not be thronging to Hahvahd to clean elite feces ;-) but the very fact that Harvard still manages to get people to work for $10/hr means there is a demand for that job for that market rate. Wouldn't you agree my friend?
Sangey.
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| Puru |
Posted
on 17-Dec-01 03:53 PM
I agree with 93454475. Sangey is comparing apples and oranges here. They are talking about hourly workers with no formal education. What is "HARVARD " name has to do here. I am sorry Sangey, one can argue anyway to look Harvard good. Off-course there is a demand for the job which pays above $10. If you ask people who is making $7 at any restaurant, cafe or anywhere to work for $10, of course they will come. That doesn't mean you should take advantage of the situation. In this case, Harvard is just being cheap.
I hope you don't work for Harvard. With the current down trend of economy, I hope Harvard will not take advantage of high unemployment rate to slash teachers' and other staff's salary. I am pretty sure Harvard can manages to get people, of course qualified, to work for much more less than whaterver their teacher and other staff are making.
Wouldn't you agree my friend, Sangey?
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| Sangey |
Posted
on 17-Dec-01 04:06 PM
Puru,
How can I not agree when you ask so politely. And no, I don't work for Harvard.
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| concerned |
Posted
on 17-Dec-01 05:02 PM
Sangey, I think the main problem with your argument is that you try to put yourself in that situation. Of course, I would go to Harvard as a research fellow/assistant even if they pay me meager wage (next to nothing). I know it would help me in the long run. But with janitars, as others have mentined, they have no benefit as such. I think the main argument of the writer is that Harvard's pay should also commensurate with its reputation. Afterall, it's a non-profit organization.
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| Harvard University |
Posted
on 17-Dec-01 05:35 PM
Who says that Research/Fellows and Assistants are not well paid at any one of the many Harvard Schools?
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| concerned |
Posted
on 17-Dec-01 05:52 PM
Though it looked that way, I was not trying to imply that they are low-paid. What I was trying to say is that if they ask me to work for a low wage, I would be more than happy to work in Harvard.
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| GP |
Posted
on 17-Dec-01 06:20 PM
Sangey wrote:
Harvard still manages to get people to work for $10/hr means there is a demand for that job for that market rate.
Sangey ji,
the part of the sentence you wrote clearly indicates
a case of exploitation. "Still manages to get people to work"
is a source of exploitation. Every exploiters have the
same sayings, in Nepal in Harvard and elsewhere.
Please check your words.
GP
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