Food Workers Criticize Union Head for Activism

Harvard's dining hall workers are becoming increasingly critical of their union president for his involvement in protests of the University's South Africa-related investments.

In interviews this week, workers said they feared that the high-profile protest activities of Domenic M. Bozzotto, the president of Hotel and Restaurant Workers Local 26, could hurt them when Bozzotto negotiates with the University on their behalf.

Sit-In

Workers said that Bozzotto's participation in a sit-in that closed down a gala dinner party at last month's 350th celebration intensified their dissatisfaction with his leadership.

Although such criticism has been directed at Bozzotto since he was elected the union's president in 1981, the workers said their concern has heightened along with the boldness of Bozzotto's activism.

Unfair Criticism

Bozzotto has said that the union members' criticism is unfair because his protest activities take place on his own time.

"What I do on my own time has nothing to do with Harvard's business," Bozzotto said earlier this week.

Last spring, Bozzotto engineered the take-over of a Holyoke Center office, which was renamed "The Center for Divestiture," to draw attention to Harvard's investment ties with South Africa.

"I don't know why he is involved in this Africa thing," said a Leverett House dining hall worker, who spoke on condition that he not be identified. "He's supposed to be representing the union."

However, other workers said criticism of Bozzotto was unjustified, givenwhat they referred to as his persistent approachto negotiations with University administrators.

Leverett House Shop Steward Dennis McCadecredited Bozzotto with upping union wages lastJune when the dining hall workers' contract cameup for renewal.

"During contract negotiations he stayedstrong," McCade said. "Domenic is number one."

Bozzotto's detractors said they fear that theUniversity is blaming them for the unionpresident's actions.

"I don't like his demonstrations because we'rebeing blamed by Ed Powers," said Kirkland Houseworker and Chief Shop Steward James H. Neil,referring to the Harvard official responsible forlabor negotiations.

Two weeks ago, Powers criticized Bozzotto in astrongly worded letter. Powers called Bozotto'sprotest activities "illegal" and "hypocritical" inlight of South Africa-related investments held bythe union's pension fund.

The pension funds, which Bozzotto oversees, hadat least $500,000 invested in companies that dobusiness in South Africa during 1984, the lastyear for which figures are available, according toDepartment of Labor documents.

Despite the criticism from Harvard workers, itis unlikely that Bozzotto could be voted out ofoffice.

The membership of Local 26 includes severalthousand Boston-area hotel and restaurantemployees in addition to the nearly 450 Harvardfood service workers. Harvard workers said strongsupport for Bozzotto among union members who workelsewhere would prohibit a change of leadership.

"We're lost while he's in power," Neil said