Dining Hall Union Will Demand More Benefits in New Contract

Local 26, the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union that includes the Harvard dining hall workers, will push for a higher pension, a cost-of-living clause, greater dental coverage, full-time summer jobs and various other benefits next month in preparation for contract negotiations, a union official said yesterday.

The dining hall workers, who make up approximately 15 per cent of Local 26, currently receive six dollars in pension receipts for every year of employment. The union will demand an increase of three dollars or more per year, Fred Walden, chief shop steward for Harvard Dining Halls, said yesterday.

No Percentages

In discussing the cost-of-living clause demand, John Shaffer, shop steward for five House dining halls, said yesterday, "We won't accept percentages--we want across-the-board raises."

Shaffer added the Local has in the past accepted contracts that were longer than one year of built-in across-the-board increases after the first year. He said the same will hold for this year's negotiations.

One of the contentions against Harvard is that students working at dining halls are taking jobs away from possible outside workers. The union plans to demand that students working more than 12 hours a week in dining halls should be required to pay union dues, Walden said yesterday.

Walden added the union will demand that dining hall workers be guaranteed full-time rather than the part-time summer jobs Harvard now offers.

Other demands the union will put forward include a disaster clause in the case of another blizzard situation, cash-in of sick leave allowances and a higher uniform cleaning allowance.