Dining Hall Workers Approve Strike If Needed

At a union meeting last night, almost 200 dining hall workers unanimously voted to authorize their negotiating committee to call a strike if necessary.

They then joined the members and supporters of the Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM) in Harvard Yard and in the middle of Mass. Ave.

President of Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union, Local 26 Janice Loux called the strike authorization vote after telling the workers the general demands the negotiating committee will ask from Harvard in its new contract.

The current contract expires June 19.

"In our last contract we did well, but this time we must do better," Loux said.

According to University spokesperson Joe Wrinn, this vote does not signal a problem in Harvard-union relationships.

"It's a method of positioning yourself as you go into negotiations," he said. "It's not a call to arms against Harvard."

Higher wages are the main concern of union members, said Loux. In particular, she said the union will ask for higher wages for cash operations workers, most of whom earn less than $10.25.

"Are you going to stand up for your brothers and sisters in the cash operations?" Loux asked the workers, their family members and observers at the meeting in the First Parish Unitarian-Universalist Church.

The crowd of more than 200 stood up, cheered and shook almost 100 homemade noisemakers that union organizers handed out.

"I make $9.62 an hour and I've worked there almost three years. I should be making $13 or $14," said Raymond Birden, a function cook at the Harvard School of Public Health. "I'm willing to go on strike for higher wages for cash ops."

Loux also cursorily touched on job security, the hiring of casual workers, outsourcing, scheduling and sick leave as issues that the union would raise when they sit down with the University during negotiations.

"We must stand together as a union and bring this fight to a finish until we win," Loux said. "Harvard has sent a message to us already. They want to attack our sick leave policy."

"What? Not our sick leave policy!" a worker at the meeting shouted.

Loux then led the crowd in a chant of "Whatever it takes as long as it takes."

She said the result of a contract dispute with Restaurant Associates, the company that contracts workers at the Harvard Business School (HBS), is an indication of the success of the rally of the Harvard workers last Wednesday and pressure from the PSLM sit-in.

Restaurant Associates wanted to reduce the wages of workers at the new Spengler Dining Hall in HBS from the higher board operations rates to cash operations rates, according to Loux.

Because of pressure from the PSLM's sit-in and a grievance filed , the union forced the company to change its mind and continue pay 120 workers at the higher board rates, Loux said.

"All of this is part and parcel with our coalition with the students and what they've done," Loux said.

She said the union will "demand that there will be amnesty for every single Harvard student in Massachusetts Hall."

After the vote Loux led the meeting out of the church and across Mass. Ave in a cheer of "What do we want? Contract. When do we want it? Now," less than 20 minutes after the meeting began.

The dining hall workers entered Harvard Yard at 8:45, 15 minutes before Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) officers began asking for Harvard IDs for all those entering the Yard.

"We're just coming to present our hearts to the students," Co-Captain of the Negotiating Committee and Adams House Chef Edward Childs said.

The crowd from the meeting met PSLM and other supporters in front of Mass. Hall.

Loux then led a crowd of more than 300 chanting protesters in a march around the living wage campaign's tent city in the Yard.

She thanked those inside of Mass. Hall for their actions.

"They raised the consciousness of those of us in the labor movement. They showed us the importance of direct action and the need to stand up for what's right," she told the rally.

Loux said that students across the country are following the example of the PSLM.

"Students in North Carolina are planning a one-day walkout of their classes to stand up for their workers," she said.

"What's possible with students alone or workers alone is nothing compared to what we can do together," said Jane H. Martin`01, a PSLM member sitting-in in Mass. Hall.

"It's great for morale to know that people care," Martin said. "To know that what we're doing affects the lives of workers means a lot."

Loux said that one of her goals for the night was to have a rally that made a serious statement without being too disruptive.

After blocking traffic on the side of Mass Ave. closest to the Yard for close to six minutes, union organizers cleared the street.

Loux asked everyone to listen to union organizers with yellow armbands with the word "marshall" written on them.

"We want people to stay in the middle, on one side or the other. We're asking you to keep it disciplined, orderly, and loud," she said.

Despite the union's efforts to maintain order, the evening rally drew a major response from first-years in the Yard because of the noise.

"We had over 100 complaints in the first half-hour , and they weren't to register support for the rally," HUPD Chief Francis D. "Bud" Riley said. "People are trying to write term papers and prepare for exams."

--Staff Writer Amit R. Paley can be reached at paley@fas.harvard.edu.