Holcombe Says He Will Fight To Shorten Three-Month Leave

Sherman Holcombe, the recently-reinstated shop steward of the Radcliffe dining halls to whom Harvard granted a three-month leave of absence Tuesday, said yesterday his lawyer is now trying to initiate negotiations to shorten the leave to one month.

Richard Coleman, attorney for Local 26 of the Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Employees Union, will also ask the University to transfer Holcombe to another Harvard dining hall after his leave expires, Holcombe said.

After his reinstatement last week, Holcombe denied an offer of transfer to the Freshman Union made by Frances E. Sweeney, manager of the Radcliffe dining halls.

Coleman tried unsuccessfully to reach Edward W. Powers, director of employee relations, to discuss Holcombe's request for a shortened leave, Holcombe said yesterday.

"I'm not going to accept a three-month leave. Three months would stretch into six months over the summer vacation and it would be too easy to push me out," Holcombe said.

No Formal Agreement

"I made no formal agreement to these arrangements, and I'm not going to sign anything until it's agreeable to me," Holcombe said yesterday. "I believe the arrangements for my leave have not been worked out properly; I plan to be out for only 30 days," he added.

Neither Coleman nor Powers could be reached for comment yesterday.

Holcombe said he originally requested the leave so soon after his reinstatement from an eight-day suspension to "get out from under the heat" and better contest what he says are unreasonable and restrictive conditions of his reinstatement.

Grievance Denied

Holcombe also said Sweeney yesterday denied all five grievances about dining hall working conditions that Holcombe submitted to her before his suspension.

Sweeney refused to comment yesterday on the grievances.