Labor Department Continues Inquiry Into Bias Complaint

Nearly a year after it decided to look into allegations that Harvard is violating the federal Equal Pay Act, the United States Department of Labor is still investigating the charges.

The charges, field last year as an official complaint by Delda H. White, director of the Radcliffe Publications Office, on behalf of Women Employed at Harvard, include a list of women employees of the University who are paid less than men who White says hold the same positions.

The Equal Pay Act requires equal pay for men and women who "perform the same work with equal responsibilities, under similar working conditions in the same establishment."

Walter J. Leonard, special assistant in President Bok and coordinator of Harvard's affirmative action policy, said yesterday that he has met with "two of three" investigators from the Labor Department's Wages and Hours Division

He called the investigation "disjointed."

He declined to comment on the means of White's complaint.

John B. Butler, director of personnel planning, said yesterday that Patricia Slate, the Labor Department's primary investigator on the complaint, has been at Harvard within the last month.

White said yesterday she has heard nothing from the labor Department recently, and she would not say which women employees she would not say which women employees she listed as ones who are paid less than men in similar positions.

Labor Department officials would not comment yesterday on the investigation