More Than 300 Assemble For Food Worker Rally

More than 300 food service workers, students and other supporters gathered yesterday night at the First Parish in Cambridge Church for a raucous rally to support the dining hall workers' union in upcoming contract negotiations with Harvard.

The workers marched to the church in groups from their dining halls, carrying banners and entering the gaily decorated hall to the tune of union songs. Local politicians, labor leaders and a group of Harvard students spoke to the membership in an evening marked by loud rounds of applause, standing ovations, and a generally festive atmosphere.

After the rally, Edward W Powers, the University's chief labor negotiator, and Domenic M. Bozzotto, president of Local 26 of the International Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Employees and Bartenders Union exchanged in separate interviews a series of accusations of why the negotiations have not yet begun.

Local 26 is the union chapter representing the Harvard workers.

Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci set the tone for the two and a half hour meeting with a speech predicting dire consequences for the University if it does not negotiate a good contract with the dining hall workers.

"Harvard University is going to find out in the next six to seven weeks what it means to have employees without a contract," he told the crowd. "No contract means no work Vellucci said.

"We're going to coin two new words to night Avanti Forte," the Mayor added explaining to a standing ovation that these words were Italian for forward with strength.

State Sen George Bachtach (D Water town) and City Councillor David I. Sullivan also addressed the meeting equating Harvard's treatment of its workers with its investments in South Africa.

The University thinks "that there isn't a difference between right and wrong," Sullivan said. "We're gonna be behind you until you can teach Harvard there is a difference between right and wrong," he added.

Powers alleged that workers in at least two dining halls had complained to their manager, that they were being coerced into attending the rally. The workers asked if they could leave their halls without passing the workers gathering to march to the rally, Powers said.

One food service worker has quit because of union harassment in recent months, Powers added.

Bozzotto could not be reached at his office last night to discuss the allegations.

The Harvard workers will "beyond a doubt" receive a strike fund from their international union if they choose to strike, John Wilhelm, vice president of the International Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Employees and Bartenders Union, said in an interview after speaking to Local 26's membership.

Wilhelm echoed the evening's largely threatening rhetoric in his speech. "Harvard is not going to decide to reward you because they've come to their senses. You're going to have to fight for it," he said.

Wilhelm, who is also president of the union chapter which represents. Yale workers, pointed out that his membership receives substantially higher wages than Harvard workers, as 'well as free medical insurance, which Harvard workers do not receive. Yale-workers have gone on strike four times in the past 15 years, he said.

Harvard food service workers have not gone on strike since they unionized 45 years ago.

Powers said that while the Yale workers had higher wages, they had only gone up by