Union Confronts Dunlop At Economics Colloquium

Members of the Graduate Student and Teaching Fellow Union confronted Dean Dunlop last night at an economics colloquium in Littauer Center, and demanded to know why Dunlop would not recognize the Union as a collective bargaining unit last Spring.

Dunlop, who was one of three professors speaking on the "Structure of the American Labor Movement," refused to answer charges made by Francis H. Ackerman a teaching fellow in economics and a member of the Union.

"I am not accustomed to discussing in an academic atmosphere the business of Harvard University," Dunlop said in response to Ackerman's charges. "I did not come here as dean of the Faculty. If I had known this issue would be raised. I would not have come here."

Ackerman said that he did not accept the pretense that Dunlop appeared only as a professor and not as dean of the Faculty. He charged that Dunlop's support of collective bargaining in the labor movement at large was inconsistent with his refusal to recognize the Union last Spring.

Ackerman also alleged that Dunlop, in his role as arbitrator for the trade construction industry, helped the trade union devise policies that maintained the segregated membership of the unions.

Dunlop denied that he had ever been employed by the construction industry.

Over 125 students--including 30 members of the Union--crowded into the fourth floor lounge at Littauer. Most had come to hear Dunlop's position on the Union, and about 50 left after Dunlop refused to answer Ackerman's charges.

Dunlop said after the colloquium that he is willing to meet with a committee of Union members. "They want a mass meeting. That's not the way to do business, however, and I don't intend to do business that way," Dunlop said.