Harvard Now Sees the Error of Its Wages

The Boston Globe, via Common Dreams ^ | Dec. 24, 2001 | Robert Kuttner

[summer]

He found that the downward drift of wages among Harvard's janitors had a lot to do with the fact that many are immigrants, people often desperate enough to work for less and hence to depress prevailing wages.

Believe it or not, this is also what is happening with teachers in certain states. More and more school districts are paying big bucks to recruiting companies to lure experienced, foreign teachers to come to America and teach -- thereby, financing an immigrant pool of teachers who will (a) not complain about low salaries, nor (b) want to complain about current education policies, in exchange for: being in America.

One retiring teacher I know -- referring to the high number of foreigners who are cab-drivers in NYC -- actually told me he believes "teaching" is this country's new "taxi-cab" profession.

Yet, IMO, there is actually be no reason for this influx of new teachers from other countires. There are many highly qualified, new teachers, who are American citizens.

But, they quickly leave the teaching profession, citing low job satisfaction among other reasons -- and, sensing that too many of the problems in education will not be solved anytime soon. Hiring foreign teachers seems to ensure that no one really has to change anything in education, since the foreign teachers are just happy enough to be working in this country.
I am personally not against these foreign teachers, but it bothers me to hear about school districts paying high recruiting fees to bring them to this country while plenty of new, American teachers are leaving the teaching profession in record numbers -- and, school districts do nothing to attempt to retain these new, American teachers.

[x]

You could have a point about the teachers. I have no use for either Harvard or Kuttner, though. Check out this article on Bob the Boss from Hell Kuttner.

[summer]

Thanks for that fascinating freepmail, Oschisms! Thought you might find something interesting on this thread. :)

[summer]

Very interesting VV article about him, and one I had actually intended to read! Thanks so much for taking the time to provide the link. :)

[Young Werther]

Several months ago there was a forum piece at the NYTimes which pointed out that Harvard had a $19 Billion endowment. The premise of the forum was that Harvard was not "correctly" spending the endowment's income. In typical Liberal fashion the Times' forum question was "How should Harvard spend its endowment, (as if "we" should have a say!)

Maybe the Harvard board of gevenors will respond generously to their low paid employees.

[expose]

Harvard was given A to veryone

[Thebaddog]

My read between the lines is that the University has traded on it's name to take advantage of the workers to enrich their own coffers. Other universities in the same area pay higher wages and should be able to attract these workers to the higher wage. Seems Harvard has to admit its own arrogance in a self-criticism session for the people.

[summer]

Harvard had a $19 Billion endowment.

I remember reading that somewhere, maybe not in that forum. And, at the time, I thought: 'Let's see, $19 billion they can't figure out what to do with -- and their janitors are on food stamps... Hmmm....this is really a tough one....'

Harvard really came out looking terrible on this issue -- cheap, uncaring, pathetic. Hardly a role model.

Thanks for your post. :)

[summer]

Re your post #6 -- Yeah, I read about those inflated grades. Another strike against them! :)

[summer]

Other universities in the same area pay higher wages and should be able to attract these workers to the higher wage.

I'm not so sure this is true -- I would not be surprised if other universities in Boston also paid very low wages.

[A CA Guy]

If they feel they are worth $15 or $1500 an hour, let them go compete in the work force and see if they'll get any takers who want to pay more.

Maybe $10+ is good money for those nearly skilless employees. Maybe if 4 of them live in the same place at $10+ an hour they can get by!

[McGavin999]

This is typical liberal hypocracy. They're so busy thinking and worrying about the plight of the little guy that the little guys in their care are on food stamps while they have billions gathering interest and making them richer. It's disgusting.

[summer]

This is typical liberal hypocracy. They're so busy thinking and worrying about the plight of the little guy that the little guys in their care are on food stamps while they have billions gathering interest and making them richer. It's disgusting.

I agree with you, McGavin999. And, I'll bet these janitors and food service workers were not very moved by Gore's last minute "populist" campaign in Nov. 2000. Nor was I.

[summer]

Perhaps I should also add that if Harvard provided access to and free tuition for its employees they would have no issue.

That's a really good point. But, such a move would substantially eliminate other available slots for certian incoming freshman....

[summer]

Allow the janitors to attend classes free. Within a few years they will be highly sought after Harvard grads and can put down their mops and brooms and teach!

Yes, and then they can all sell their stories to Hollywood! :)

[summer]

These workers may have few skills in your eyes, but, they do provide services to Harvard that are needed by Harvard, and Harvard is loaded with money -- and, Cambridge is an expensive place to live in or near.

You'd think that someone in Harvard's administration could have figured all this out before the students resorted to a highly publicized protest. But, I guess not.

[W1RCH]

The author stated that "It's hard to keep secret that Harvard is swimming in money"

That is true. I hsve two Harvard degrees, and I'm fed with the way it treats its janitors, maids and other menial employees.

Let's look at the other side of Harvard.The latest issue of Harvard Magazine carries an article about terrorism and its roots. It reported a panel discussion on that subject by some faculty members.

One of the most startling charges was made by Jessic E. Stern, Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy Center and a director of Eastern European Affairs at Clinton's National Security Council

Stern charges that "dropping nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ...fit our (sic) definition of terrorism because it is clear...that the purpose was to terrorize the civilian population".

You people worry that Harvard pays its employees substandard wages, while its governing bodies, the President and Fellows and its Board of Overseers ignore treasonous and revisionist statements such as this from its faculty.

[TopQuark]

school districts do nothing to attempt to retain these new, American teachers. As you yourself point out, this is a cultural problem. What can districts do?

The teaching profession carries no respect of the parents and may be fatal. What can the principal or district do about that?