New workplace policies group formed

President John Hennessy recently named 11 faculty, staff and students to the Presidential Advisory Committee on Workplace Policies, a new advisory committee that will provide recommendations concerning policies and practices affecting employees and others working on campus.

Hennessy announced plans for the committee last June following negotiations between the administration and representatives of the Stanford Labor Action Coalition and as six students ended a seven-day fast. The students were fasting to protest the long-term use of temporary employees on campus and the use of subcontracted employees, among other issues.

Members of the committee are Jon Dolle, graduate student; Emma Gordon, human resources officer, Residential and Dining Enterprises; Mark Granovetter, professor of sociology; Susan K. Hoerger, director, Employee and Labor Relations; Oliver Kaplan, graduate student; Zev Kvitky, accelerator system technician, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (president, United Stanford Workers); Diane Peck (co-chair), executive director, Human Resources; John Pencavel (co-chair), professor of economics; Bettye Price, administrative services manager, Department of Biological Sciences; Barbara Reich, administrative associate, Athletics Department; and Aminah West, undergraduate.

The committee's work will focus on temporary employees; the living wage policy and the use of subcontracting; educational opportunities for employees; and mechanisms to ensure compliance with the legal rights of employees and the university in connection with union organization.

The committee is soliciting input and ideas from the campus community. Confidential comments may be sent to the committee co-chairs by e-mail or interdepartmental mail. (Comments may be shared with the committee or used in a committee report, without the names of those who submit them.)

Send comments and ideas by e-mail to presidentscommittee@lists.stanford.edu or by ID mail to John Pencavel, Economics, mail code 6072, or Diane Peck, Human Resources, mail code 6210.