Massachusetts AFL-CIO
Tell Smith College President to do the right thing with campus
construction!
Smith College put a significant construction product out to bid
recently. After having promised to be responsible with its bidding
process, Smith College has re-opened the bidding and allowed for an
irresponsible, anti-union contractor to bid on the work.
Smith College has a rich and proud history of making admirable and moral
stands on issues of social and economic justice. To allow for an
unacceptable and irresponsible contractor to now bid on the work, after
promising to do the right thing, is very disappointing to say the least.
The Board of Trustees for Smith College meets tomorrow, Thursday June
21st. Below you will find two letters from President Haynes and IBEW
Local 7 Business Manager Dan D’Alma asking Smith College President Carol
T. Christ to do the right thing with campus construction.
Please send President Christ an email TODAY before the Board of Trustees
meets to determine which contractors get the work. Help our union
brothers and sisters get the work they deserve!
Email President Christ here: ahautani@email.smith.edu
LETTER FROM MASSACHUSETTS AFL-CIO PRESIDENT ROBERT J. HAYNES
Dear President Christ,
It has come to my attention that Smith College, an institution that has
taken commendable action and stands on labor issues in the past, is
considering a bid on the Ford Engineering Project by a company that is
well-known to have unscrupulous labor practices. It is my hope that in
light of these practices, you will no longer consider Wayne J. Griffin
Electric, Inc. as a candidate for a contract on this project.
You have received a letter from Dan D’Alma, the Business Manager of IBEW
Local 7, one of our affiliates. The IBEW represents electrical workers
who perform quality work, under safe conditions, with fair wages. In
competing for contracts, union companies should not be disadvantaged by
employers who are able to underbid by taking advantage of their workers.
As an institution that teaches important social values to its students,
and expects those values to be applied outside of the classroom, your
failure to lead by example in this instance would be extremely
hypocritical.
If a contract is granted to Wayne J. Griffin Electric the Massachusetts
AFL-CIO will fully support and reinforce IBEW Local 7 in their campaign
to inform current and potential Smith College students of the
institution’s potentially hypocritical message on labor issues. The
well-deserved publicity that Smith College received for its recent
action against Coca-Cola can easily be replicated in reverse to expose
the College for its hypocrisy on labor issues if Wayne J. Griffin
Electric is seen working on campus.
It is my hope that Smith College will continue to reinforce the values
that are taught to students, as it has with Coca-Cola, by granting the
contract for this project to a company with ethical practices and that
uses union labor. I am more than happy to discuss this with you in
person. Do not hesitate to call me at (781) 324-8230. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Robert J. Haynes
President
Massachusetts AFL-CIO
LETTER FROM IBEW LOCAL 7 BUSINESS MANAGER DAN D’ALMA
President Christ,
Carol I’m very concerned with the direction Smith College is going on
the Ford Engineering Project. After being assured by Bill Brandt that
Wayne J Griffin would not be allowed to bid this project, this suddenly
changed after the students left school and all other electrical bids
were already submitted. In my opinion this is an unethical business
practice on the part of the college.
It appears after lecturing Coca-Cola about their labor practices in your
letter to them, the college doesn’t seem to be leading by example. We
find this very disturbing, and quite frankly, hypocritical.
If in fact the college is not sincere in their statements and actions,
we feel it is important for anyone inquiring about Smith College to be
aware of this. Currently, we are in the process of setting up a webpage
which will come up on a Smith College google search. This page will
outline the two sided positions the college has taken on various issues
pertaining to workers rights. It is our goal to have this page up and
running if and when Wayne J Griffin Electric is awarded the electrical
contract on your project.
We would greatly appreciate an opportunity to sit down with you and find
a way to avoid this from happening. However, if the college insists on
using a contractor with a track record like Wayne J Griffin’s, we are
prepared to use any lawful means to protest this decision. Those means
include publicizing our views about the college’s values and ethics
concerning these issues through leafleting at college events, public
advertising, use of the internet, helping to organize student action and
protest groups, and other lawful means. These efforts will be directed
at the college trustees, administrators, faculty, students, parents,
alumni, donors, and the general public. Please be advised that these
activities will not be limited just to the period during which
construction is taking place. We have the right to continue these
activities long after construction is completed.
Please give some consideration to working this out.
Respectfully,
Dan D’Alma
Business Manager
IBEW Local 7
