Buyers Won't Change Stand On Lettuce

University administrators said yesterday that Harvard will not intentionally boycott non-union lettuce.

Speaking at a meeting with student members of the ad hoc group supporting the United Farm Workers, L. Gard Wiggins, administrative vice president, said that the petition and boycotts of three House dining rooms last week had not convinced him that the group had widespread support for its position. The petition was signed by 1700 students.

"I can't accept what you tell me as proof that 80 to 90 per cent of the University is behind you." Wiggins said. "Why should I believe four or five of you? If every time four or five students walked in and asked me to do something I did what they wanted, I might as well walk out of this office right now and let someone else have my job."

At the meeting, the students asked Wiggins, Robert Mullen, director of Purchases, and C. Graham Hurlburt, director of the Food Services, for a statement that Harvard would buy all of its lettuce from companies contracting with the United Farm Workers.

"Harvard's Food Services Department purchases lettuce from two purveyors . . . their purchases are dependent upon the quality, values and supplies available," Wiggins stated.

The proportion of UFW-picked lettuce that Harvard buys is approximately 80 per cent. The rest bears the Teamsters' label.

"During the current week, all lettuce served in the House dining halls . . . came exclusively from sources having contracts with the United Farm Workers." the statement added.

"All Harvard's lettuce has been coming from farm sources having contracts with labor organizations. Our information concerning the controversy gives us no basis for judging how far the contracts are bona fide, how far the dispute is jurisdictional (as many allege), what effect the reported UFW Teamsters settlement should have, etc.," Wiggins said.

The administrators said that if the Committee on House and Undergraduate Life made any recommendations, they would reconsider the purchasing issue.

"We're committed to the democratic process," said Wiggins. "The Committee on Houses and Undergraduate Life is supposed to represent the students. It's elected and invested with more official standing than your group has."