Dining Hall Workers Stall on Contract

UNITE HERE! Local 26, the union which represents Harvard dining hall workers, canceled their scheduled vote on the new, tentatively agreed upon contract with Harvard on Monday, and instead had an informational meeting for its members.

Union leaders said that the vote was cancelled because there was confusion among the members on a separate benefits issue regarding dining hall workers at Harvard Business School. The union says that those workers, who are employed by the private contractor Restaurant Associates, are not receiving appropriate benefits.

Local 26 President Brian Lang said that he canceled the vote because he was worried that the negative emotions surrounding the Business School employees’ situation would cause union members at HUHDS to vote down what the union and the University both feel is a very good contract.

“They’re separate issues” Lang said before the meeting with workers. “But we’re worried workers aren’t going to vote for the contract until the issue is resolved.”

According to Lang, the nine workers at the Business School were previously Harvard employees who, in 1983, were transferred to Restaurant Associates on the condition that they retain Harvard benefits. However, Lang said that while Harvard employees’ benefits have continued to improve, the benefit packages of the Restaurants Associates employees have lagged behind.

“I’ve worked for the University for 30 years and over that time the University has affected us by stripping our benefits.” said George Sabatino, one of the nine affected workers. “The only thing we’re asking is to be treated like every other Harvard [dining hall] employee.”

Sabatino also confirmed Lang’s original fear about voting on the contract.

“I’m choosing to vote down the contract until that issue is resolved,” Sabatino said.

Local 26 has taken an active step towards changing the working conditions for Sabatino and his peers. Yesterday, the union sent over 60 dining hall workers to the office of HBS Associate Dean for Administration Angela Q. Crispi.

“We alerted her to the issues,” Lang said. “She was very receptive.”

Crispi and the Business School could not be reached for comment. The University declined to comment.

Adams House Chief Steward Edward B. Childs, a member of the Local 26 bargaining committee, said that he does not think members will vote for the new contract as long as they don’t believe in Harvard as an employer, even after the clarification meeting.

“There’s mistrust of Harvard,” Childs said, “And I can’t give them the word that there’s anything to trust.”

However, Childs said that despite member unrest, he still supports the contract.

“I haven’t changed my mind on the contract,” he said. “But it’s not just about me, it’s about all the members.”

However, after the informational meeting, Lang said he was more confident about the vote.

“I think that our meeting yesterday went a long way to explaining to people what’s going on,” Lang said. “People are saying, ‘Well fine, let’s go forward with the vote on the contract but we’re not gonna stop fighting until the dining hall workers at the business school are taken’.”

—Staff writer Mercer R. Cook can be reached at mcook@college.harvard.edu.