Rudenstine Faces Labor Questions

Students speaking for workers' rights intensively questioned President Neil L. Rudenstine last night when he came to Lowell House dining hall to eat with faculty and students.

Rudenstine, who was accompanied by his wife, Angelica Zander Rudenstine, talked with the Lowell House Masters and members of the House Committee and Senior Common Room over salmon before taking the podium for brief remarks and a question-and-answer session.

House Master Diana L. Eck introduced Rudenstine.

"Who would have thought that this great humanist would raise $2.6 billion?" she asked, referring to Rudenstine's six years of work on the University-wide Capital Campaign.

Rudenstine spoke about trekking the globe on behalf of the Capital Campaign. He also discussed information technology and its effect on higher education.

But during the question-and-answer session, the topic shifted to labor issues.

Eugenie A. Lang '00, a Lowell House resident, asked Rudenstine to respond to concerns about the treatment of guards employed by SSI, a private security firm that patrols many Harvard buildings.

Lang said she had spoken to guards who told her their wages from SSI are just over the minimum, and that they were not paid for training time.

"Why does the University do business with such a firm?" she asked.

Rudenstine responded by referring to the faculty committee examining the University's labor policy. The committee is expected to issue a report soon.

Two other students--including Amy C. Offner '01, a Progressive Student Labor Movement stalwart, and Lowell House resident--also aggressively quizzed Rudenstine on labor conditions. He continued to refer to the committee, emphasizing that the University has a process for evaluating possible changes.