Union Leaders Say Rudenstine 'Skipped Town'

More than 100 Harvard workers marched to President Neil L. Rudenstine's empty home Thursday evening in the most recent of several efforts to pressure administrators to budge in the waning days of the current contract.

Representatives of management and the 3500 member Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers have been unable to agree on a new pact despite intense negotiations to forge a new agreement before the current contract expires on June 30.

Thursday evening, workers carried a cardboard cutout of Rudenstine down Brattle Street to the president's Harvard-owned house at 33 Elmwood St. They carried signs bearing photographs of Rudenstine and the questions "Where's Neil?" and "Where on Earth is Neil?" Other signs read, in blood-red letters, "Nightmare on Elmwood Street."

Rudenstine is currently in Europe for a meeting and a vacation. Harvard officials have defend the president's trip as a long-planned trip on Harvard business, but union leaders see it differently.

"This is the first test of his ability as a leader, and he's skipped town," said William Jaeger, director and chief negotiator of the union.

Donene M. Williams, president of the union, said, "He's conspicuously absent and I think that's bad."

Workers also held a large sign reading "Wish you were here," and they said they plan to send postcards to Rudenstine.

Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs John H. Shattuck in an interview yesterday that the president is "just a phone call away." He said Rudenstine contacts Cambridge daily.

In interviews Thursday, union leaders said talks were bogged down over wage issues. Additional sticking pointsinclude work security, child care and educationalassistance. Jaeger said the almost-dailynegotiations were "tough."

Union negotiators painted a picture of adivided Harvard administration. Jaeger said thatduring the negotiations, the managementrepresentatives "don't act like a unified,coherent team that has a vision."

Williams said, "There is a definite sense thatwe are talking to two different sets ofpeople--those who think it's a good idea to settleand those who don't want to settle."

Sources close to the union say that Medicalschool and Business School representatives areamong those slowing progress.

Shattuck vigorously denied the allegeddivisions. "The Harvard administration iscompletely united," he said.

Administrators other than Rudenstine have notbeen exempt from the union's appeals and protests."All the administrators and the deans areresponsible," said Emily W. Scudder, a libraryacquisition assistant at the Graduate School ofDesign.

"It's that sort of reasoning which led to the"how the other half lives tour," a series ofvisits to "nice, fancy, sprawling" homes of deansand administrators, Williams said.

"We basically made fun of them and had a lot offun," Williams said.

Other administrators came under fire for theirhigh salaries at a union rally outside ahigh-level planning retreat June 18. [Seerelated story, page 5.] While many Harvardadministrators earn annual salaries of $100,000 ormore, the average Harvard union member earns about$23,000 a year.

The negotiations are likely to continue throughRudenstine's July 8 return. And union members haveindicated that the demonstrations will alsocontinue until an agreement is reached

Union negotiators painted a picture of adivided Harvard administration. Jaeger said thatduring the negotiations, the managementrepresentatives "don't act like a unified,coherent team that has a vision."

Williams said, "There is a definite sense thatwe are talking to two different sets ofpeople--those who think it's a good idea to settleand those who don't want to settle."

Sources close to the union say that Medicalschool and Business School representatives areamong those slowing progress.

Shattuck vigorously denied the allegeddivisions. "The Harvard administration iscompletely united," he said.

Administrators other than Rudenstine have notbeen exempt from the union's appeals and protests."All the administrators and the deans areresponsible," said Emily W. Scudder, a libraryacquisition assistant at the Graduate School ofDesign.

"It's that sort of reasoning which led to the"how the other half lives tour," a series ofvisits to "nice, fancy, sprawling" homes of deansand administrators, Williams said.

"We basically made fun of them and had a lot offun," Williams said.

Other administrators came under fire for theirhigh salaries at a union rally outside ahigh-level planning retreat June 18. [Seerelated story, page 5.] While many Harvardadministrators earn annual salaries of $100,000 ormore, the average Harvard union member earns about$23,000 a year.

The negotiations are likely to continue throughRudenstine's July 8 return. And union members haveindicated that the demonstrations will alsocontinue until an agreement is reached