Testimonials

Read testimonials from campaigns past and hear the stories of workers today.

One woman whose coworkers were laid off last year describes the outcome of the Bread and Roses action at the Harvard Medical School on April 6, 2009. The translation is followed by the original Spanish text.

"Less than three months later, laid-off workers started to return, one by one. The bosses knew that we were watching and we wouldn't accept the company bringing in just anyone off the street. At that moment, when we broke bread and left roses [for the laid off workers], we knew our strength was in union. Let the bosses worry about their money. That's all they understand. We have fraternity."

Anonymous, Librarian

I was in that job for about seventeen to twenty years.

I can definitely say that this was a great job for me.

At the time that these layoffs happened, there were two full service employees and two part-timers. And the thing is, the two full-timers were costing the university more than the part-timers—you had more years of getting raises. … A lot of older workers have gone through this. … I know certainly of other cases that have happened like that.

I saw all these people, all friends and coworkers who were going to their jobs every day. Some of them had only been here a year, maybe two years.

John Cusack, Carpenter's Union

Actually, I live right there. Oh no, I could hit it with a rock. I’ve never been closer. I walk to work. Actually I walk home to lunch. It’s like growing up in a town, like a little tiny town…

The idea would be that you would have to look at a big old fence for three years until the thing started to come over the top and also you would see this beautiful building that was going to benefit all of mankind, forever and ever, Amen. And for that not to happen…I don’t how many future plans can be created…even, again it’s going to be one of those ones…you never want to put yourself where you’re going to be in a position of mockery. And any thing that’s suggested is going to be, “Oh, do you have the money? Oh, can you finish this one?” You could build a dog house, and they’re going to be bitching at you…I’ve be in involved with a lot of projects. I’ve been involved with projects that shut down. But there was always something you knew right away. Because…the last paycheck you got was no good or something like that, you know what I mean. Like you went into the office and there was one phone line hanging off of the wall, and everyone’s gone. You know, you hadn’t seen them since yesterday at lunch. You know stuff like that. Crazy stuff. Fly-by-night stuff. And that’s why this is the great unknown.

Larry Greene, Mail Room Employee, Harvard Medical School

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Vince Livelli, Custodian, 46

Here's a Harvard story for you: It all started when I was lifting a bag. All I was doing was I bent down and lifted a bag. It wasn't really a heavy bag. But there was a little grease on the floor.

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