Labor wins a battle

Harvard's two-anda-half year battle against District 65, Distributive Workers of America, which is trying to organize medical area workers, ended in May when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) approved the union's right to hold an election among Med Area employees.

In a 3-2 decision, the NLRB rejected Harvard's contention that the almost 1100 Med Area workers could seek representation only in a University-wide bargaining unit. The surprise ruling, which overturned a regional board decision upholding Harvard's position, concluded the expensive legal bickering and set the stage for an organizing election on June 29.

Union organizers say they are confident of victory, but Harvard has not given up. Even if District 65 wins the right to represent the Med Area workers, Harvard might refuse to bargain with the union--forcing another round of litigation, this time in the Federal Courts.

Cooperative Coop

The Harvard Cooperative Society may often seem like just another store in the Square, but sometimes it does not act like the co-op it's supposed to be. This spring, student pressure persuaded the Coop to drop J. P. Stevens products from its inventory in support of the Stevens workers efforts to force the company to recognize their union.

Gorski goes

For months, negotiations between the Harvard Police Department union and the force's management were stalled over issues of morale: the union felt morale was too low at that point to even begin negotiating more tangible issues. The policemen blamed their depression on Police Chief David L. Gorski's efforts to increase efficiency, so it shouldn't be that surprising that the morale question was finally resolved after Gorski announced his resignation.

Gorski is headed for the police department of Appleton, Wis., where no one's been depressed for years.

Financial whoopee

For the first time since the fiscal year 1972-'73, the University budget in the last academic year showed a surplus, while the Corporation's portfolio rose $900,000, or 11 per cent, in market value. The endowment rose to $1.4 billion.

FAS deficit

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences reported a $217,000 deficit, a quarter of the $1 million deficit the financial office of the Faculty originally predicted.

Next year, Dean Rosovsky insists that come hell or high water, the Faculty will balance its budget. Last month he reported that the proposed budget for next year included a $350,000 deficit, and sent the budget back to departments for further cutbacks.

Sewer service