Union Says That Its Picketing Has Halted 60% of Deliveries

A shop steward for striking members of the Graphic Arts International Union said yesterday that about 60 per cent of the delivery trucks coming to Harvard are now honoring the printers' picket lines by refusing to make deliveries on campus.

Edward Moreira, the shop steward representing Local 300 of the GAIU, attributed the higher percentage of non-deliveries to recognition of the strike by the Teamsters Union, increased awareness by non-union drivers and more effective picketing techniques by the strikers.

He said these factors have reversed a decline of non-deliveries, which had fallen from 50 per cent during the first two weeks of the strike to 25 per cent early last week.

John B. Butler, director of personnel, said last night that Harvard "will not permit anyone to physically deny access to University property to those who desire it." He did not elaborate on his statement.

Moreira said a group of 14 printers and 4 students formed a picket line across the Boylston St. driveway entrance to the Business School early Monday morning, preventing delivery trucks from entering the B-School and blocking traffic on Boylston St.

Boston and Harvard police ordered the picketers to allow trucks to enter about a half-hour after the action began. The picketers complied, Moreira said, but continued to picket the entrance. He said only a few trucks entered during the rest of the morning. The printers organized the mass picketing because they "want the University to know we can hit them hard," Moreira said. He said this tactic will be used in the future at different points on campus.

Some of the printers were displeased by incidents which occured at Monday's action, Tony DeMarco, a member of Local 300, said yesterday.

Some cars driven by students were stopped by the picketers, DeMarco said, and one driver who crossed the picket line could not find his keys when he returned to his truck after making his delivery.

Moreira said that although these incidents may have left some printers dissatisfied with Monday's action, all the printers are in favor of using mass picketing to stop delivery trucks. He said these incidents would not occur in the future.

In another development, Paul Golden, vice president of Local 300, said yesterday that Harvard is sending the 25 Year Class Book, The Harvard Business Review and most of its other major printing projects to New England Lithograph during the strike.

Golden said the work is costing about 33 per cent more at New England than it would have cost at the University Printing Office.

Butler declined to comment specifically on the report, but said the strike "has inconvenienced the University greatly" and there is "damned little being done at the University Printing Office now."

Representatives of New England Lithograph could not be reached for comment yesterday