Penn Brings Union To Court Today, Alleges Contempt

Striking union employees of the University of Pennsylvania are expected to go to court today to answer university charges that they obstructed university business.

The university accuses members of Operating Engineers Local 835, which is primarily in charge of heating and air conditioning, of violating a court order by stopping trucks trying to remove garbage.

The court injunction prohibiting interference with the garbage trucks was secured as a result of picketers who successfully blocked garbage trucks by standing in front of them.

Ted Kulesza, business manager for the engineers' union, said yesterday that the university does not want to give in to the wage demands "because they are scared to death that their clerical people are going to organize. They're afraid they'll have to turn around and give a raise to the clerical workers."

Robert Coryell, director of the university news bureau, said yesterday that over $2 million in Penn's budget has been alloted for salary increases, "to be divided up across the board among all employees."

The striking unions are demanding an immediate 12 per cent increase, in contrast to the university's proposed wage increase of 6 per cent effective January 1 and an another 6 per cent raise effective July 1.