Guards' Meeting: No Union Verdict

An angry, contentious meeting of more than 20 University security guards--called in response to a petition for the ouster of guard Stephen G. McCombe as union steward--ended Friday with no decision on McCombe's status.

The meeting was convened to examine McCombe's public statements alleging on-the-job harassment in the unit. Twenty-five guards had signed a petition expressing dissatisfaction with McCombe, but less than 10 guards at the meeting were signees to the petition, and three of them asked that their names be removed from it.

In a February interview, McCombe accused police department management with engaging in a "pattern of retaliation" against guards who accused their supervisors of discriminatory practices. Representatives of the Local 254 AFL-CIO union told guards during Friday's meeting that they were gathering evidence for a formal investigation of McCombe's conduct as a union steward.

Union officials, questioned in the Sheraton Commander Hotel's Minuteman room before the meeting Friday, refused to answer questions.

The executive board of the guard union arranged the meeting in response to a petition signed by 25 of Harvard's 100 guards. Guards familiar with the petition said it charges McCombe with breaking union rules and creating divisiveness with his public statements in the February interview with The Crimson.

But guards in attendance at the meeting said McCombe supporters outnumbered those supporting the petition. Less than 10 of the 25 petition signees appeared at the meeting and three asked that their names be removed form the document, guards said.

Those in attendance said guards were as critical of union business agent Francis E. Fanning as they were Sof McCombe. Fanning is responsible for negotiating contracts and keeping track of union grievances against department management. In interviews at their posts, many guards have said Fanning is too friendly with the department management.

In fact, the union has already come under fire for what some have suggested is its complicity in alleged discrimination against guards by their supervisors. Juan Figueroa, a former guard who is Hispanic, filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination charging the union with discrimination against him because of his ethnicity. Fanning has denied that charge.

McCombe refused to comment this weekend, but in the February interview, the guard discussed the cases of five minority guards whom he represented in grievance procedures and who have charged the department with discrimination based on race and ethnicity. He repeatedly insisted his statements reflected his personal views and not those of his union.

Manager of Operations for Security Robert J. Dowling has vehemently denied the charges of harassment and discrimination. In February, Dowling alleged that McCombe engaged in a "personal vendetta" against him and that the union steward coerced guards to go public with charges of discrimination.

Now, McCombe has emerged at the center of the dispute over the guards' charges. While some depict him a self-promoter who causes division in the unit, others say he is the only union steward whom they trust to represent them in grievance proceedings when they are disciplined

In fact, the union has already come under fire for what some have suggested is its complicity in alleged discrimination against guards by their supervisors. Juan Figueroa, a former guard who is Hispanic, filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination charging the union with discrimination against him because of his ethnicity. Fanning has denied that charge.

McCombe refused to comment this weekend, but in the February interview, the guard discussed the cases of five minority guards whom he represented in grievance procedures and who have charged the department with discrimination based on race and ethnicity. He repeatedly insisted his statements reflected his personal views and not those of his union.

Manager of Operations for Security Robert J. Dowling has vehemently denied the charges of harassment and discrimination. In February, Dowling alleged that McCombe engaged in a "personal vendetta" against him and that the union steward coerced guards to go public with charges of discrimination.

Now, McCombe has emerged at the center of the dispute over the guards' charges. While some depict him a self-promoter who causes division in the unit, others say he is the only union steward whom they trust to represent them in grievance proceedings when they are disciplined