High Business School Board Rate Forced Lay-Off Unions Condemn

High board rates which, if raised further because of increased costs, would make many Business School students leave the dining-half and find cheaper board, brought about the economies in the labor force which were attacked at a dining-hall help union meeting last week, Wallace B. Donham '98, Dean of the Business School, said in an interview yesterday.

He differed with the unions on their statement that the contract signed last year did not permit students to be substituted for employees.

"There is no question in my mind that the contract between the union and the University explicit provides for this," Dean Donham said. He referred to the clause of the contract signed last March which excepts "students in the University who are or may be employed therein as a means on enabling them to pay part of their expenses while studying at the University."

Board Rate $10.50

He pointed out that the economy measures, which resulted in laying-off 18 workers in the Business School kitchens, were necessary because the dining halls were running a deficit despite the high board rate of $10.50 per week. Substantially all the waiters of the School are now students, but it is thought that more could be employed in pantry and kitchen work.

"The students are complaining about the rates now, and some of them are going across the river to eat and save money," Dean Donham said. "If the rates went to $11.00 a week, more would certainly leave and the operation of the six halls would then be uneconomical."

As a result of negotiations with Stefani, the Business School has postponed the question of substituting students for employees until June. According to the School's original plan 10 students were to have replaced an equal number of waitresses on February 4, when the other economies take effect.

"We are trying to make some necessary economies with the minimum of disturbance to the labor group," Dean Donham said.

At a meeting on Thursday night of the unions representing the waitresses and the kitchen workers, which include over 90 per cent of all the dining-hall help, the economies in the Business School were attacked as fore-runners of a general move on the part of the University to substitute students for employees.

The union leader fear that the gains made last year in wages and bargaining power would be swept away by any such action