SDS Confronts Butler To Demand Promotion For Apprentice McNeil

About 100 students led by members of SDS met yesterday with three officers of the Harvard Personnel Office to demand a 20-cent raise for black electrician's apprentice Charles McNeil.

Richard R. Coleman, Harvard manager for Labor Relations, told the demonstrating students that "We have no intention of giving him the raise, because in our opinion, he doesn't deserve it."

The confrontation, which took place on the sixth floor of Holyoke Center at 4 p. m., was a continuation of earlier demands for the raise and allegations of racism in Harvard hiring policies. SDS emphasized the fact that Harvard has no black electricians.

Raise Denied

SDS has charged that McNeil was denied both a raise and a promotion because he is black. They cited the fact that three other white workers in the program have been promoted.

The eight-step apprentice program, designed to enable a worker to get an electrician's license, was negotiated between Harvard and the Greater Boston Maintenance Council (AFL-CIO) in December 1969. McNeil joined the program when it began.

Following 20 minutes of picketing and leaflet distribution in Forbes Plaza, the demonstrators marched to the Personnel Office. There they confronted John B. Butler, Director of Personnel, Colenran, and Edward W. Powers, another labor relation officer. The office was empty as employees had been dismissed at 3:30 p. m.

Responding to questions from students concerning earlier testimony by journeyman electrician Bernard O'Brien to the effect that McNeil had completed all requirements for promotion. Coleman said. "I didn't find that Mr. O'Brien had lied, but in talking to him I got more details than he previously enumerated. When he sits down to think up how much time Charlie actually spent doing this [electrician's work] he doesn't come up with that much evidence."

Pressing Coleman

The students pressed Coleman for elaboration on this point but he said only that O'Brien refused to admit that McNeil had worked for him for the required six-month period. The students argued that this was so, but O'Brien had actually said that he knew McNeil had worked the specified amount of time. Coleman did not deny this.

Remedial Training

Coleman went on to say that remedial training was necessary for a number of people in the apprenticeship program. A student countered, saying that McNeil was enrolled in such a program, but that he had been taken out of it. The reason for that, Coleman explained,was that "We are reexamining the questions of what remedial training is needed."

The same student then asked Coleman if McNeil would be returned to the class. Coleman answered, "We would hope that Charlie would be in a course which would provide the necessary training."

McNeil arrived about one-quarter of the way through the confrontation, and demanded that he receive the 20-cent raise that was allegedly due him. "Even though this man (Coleman) told me never to come up here again, I'm going to keep on coming till I get what belongs to me," he said. Coleman denied that he had ever told McNeil to stay away from his office.

A number of students then demanded to know just how the apprenticeship program is set up. Coleman said: "In order to accept apprentices for the program, the program is tightened up, and there is a statewide publication of the openings; people then apply and are considered. Some are chosen and some are not."