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A Union History
The Research
Development
and Technical
Employees' Union
Submitted by David H. Gay,
President, RDTEU,
Belmont, MA
The Research Development and Technical Employees' Union was founded by
technicians at MIT over 50 years ago. This Union still remains independent. We represent
over 700 members at MIT, Draper Laboratory and Lincoln Laboratory. The employees we
represent include - technicians, machinists, stock clerks, custodians, photographers, and
physical plant employees. The Union's Executive Board is comprised of thirteen members.
Three Executive Board members from each unit and four constitutional officers - President,
Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary.
The RDTEU negotiates two contracts — one which covers workers at
MIT/Lincoln Laboratory and another which covers workers at Draper Laboratory. Two years
ago, in our last contract negotiations with MIT, the Union engaged in a bitter struggle
with MIT to combat their re-engineering plans. MIT formed a number of re-engineering teams
to decide which departments were not cost efficient and make recommendations to possible
eliminate these departments. The RDTEU was not included in any of these discussions or
plans.
MIT targeted the Office of Laboratory Supplies where thirteen RDTEU members workers
and closed this department. After this department closed, MIT brought in the supply
company, VWR Scientific, to perform many of the exact same functions. The Union grieved
MIT's decision to close this department and to outsource our jobs. In addition, the Union
mounted a strong publicity campaign to pressure MIT into offering an early incentive
program for those workers who were laid off from this department and to give other
employees the opportunity to retire early in other departments that may be re-engineered
out of existence.
MIT ultimately offered a substantial early retirement incentive program.
For the employees who were near the age of retirement, but were in potential danger of
losing their jobs, this program gave them the opportunity to leave MIT with a far more
equitable option. The issue of whether MIT has the right to re-engineer people out of a
job and outsource the same work is still pending an arbitrator's decision.
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