Marriott Hotels currently manages the Business School dining hall. Bozzotto wants to negotiate a contract containing a grandfather clause guaranteeing continued Harvard benefits for long-term workers.

In addition, the union leadership will demand wage increases and "more professional administration of the dining halls," says Bozzotto. "Right now, the management of the dining halls has no rhyme or reason, and we want a consistent program for all the dining halls, not dependent on the personality of the individual managers."

But this year Bozzotto seemed more concerned with laying the groundwork for more effective lobbying on behalf of worker concerns than with actually achieving his many demands.

The union's strong demands reflect "a nationwide grass roots labor movement to fight concessions by the workers," says Bozzotto. "The labor movement has to be strengthened in response to the rampant lay-offs across the country," he adds. "Concessions won't save jobs anymore."

Bozzotto's leadership reflects a nationwide trend in labor away from the traditionally isolated union organization, Bruskin says. "Domenic believes that the labor movement shouldn't exist as an isolated movement that doesn't care about anything but more money for its members. It has a role to play for social justice, and to do this, its leaders must build a labor-community relationship."

The Man and His Philosophy

Bozzotto says his leadership is based on "a philosophy, that there is more to a union than wages, benefits and job security, it has to have a heart and soul, it has to have social responsibility." To expand the workers' role in the community, Bozzotto gathers support from students to back him in negotations. "Dining hall workers have built up a relationship with students, and this gives them an identification with the Harvard community," said Bozzotto.

In return, workers have voiced their support of issues concerning students, such as divestment from companies with investments in South Africa, and opposition to federal aid for the Contras.

Student activists have developed a sense of "cooperation with the local unions," says Harvard divestment activist Damon A. Silvers '86. Silvers and other Harvard students demonstrated their support of Local 26 three years ago, when the union held a strike over Harvard's refusal to extend contract negotiations. Late last month, Silvers and Richard Drayton '86 attended the opening negotiations for the Local 26 new contract, but were thrown out.

Harvard's Southern Africa Solidarity Committee (SASC) this spring sent representatives to the Boston Labor Committee for a Free South Africa. This was one reason the unions decided to make the South Africa issue the focus of the May Day campaign at Harvard.

Union Grandstander?

Bozzotto has been criticized for neglecting concrete union needs in favor of broader issues. "Bozzotto should spend more time as a union business manager than as a demonstrator," says one dining hall manager, who spoke on the condition that he not be identified.

Edward W. Powers, Harvard's associate general counsel for employee relations, says he disapproves of Bozzotto's tactics as a union leader, and that he is "offended that Domenic arranged a sit-in as though he was a member of the Harvard community."

"The sit-in was billed as Harvard service workers supporting divestment, and I saw one Harvard employee participating," says Powers. "When he's out there saying its Local 26, I'm not sure if he's in tune with his membership."

Workers say they generally support Bozzotto, although with reservations. "I'm wary of him, but I support him. He does right by us," says Ronnie E. Blackman, a shop steward at the Business School Kresge dining hall.

Workers approve of Bozzotto's participation in student activities, says a waitress at the Faculty Club. "We need student support. Harvard cares what students and alumni say a lot more than they care about us," Blackman adds.

According to several workers who did not wish to be identified, animosity towards Bozzotto built up during the 1981 contract negotiations when "he did some dealing behind closed doors in the last contract negotiations," says a waitress at Kresge Hall.

"He had a private meeting with Powers after we brought in the negotiating committee, but we got what we were asking for," says Blackman. Another waitress criticized Bozzotto for not visiting the dining halls enough. "He likes the media and the publicity, more than the day-to-day stuff," she says.

Powers criticized Bozzotto for his confrontational, dramatic tactics, which contain, according to Powers, more personal antagonism than professionalism. "Three years ago, Domenic disrupted my home and stuffed my mailbox with flyers. I found that offensive," Powers says.

Powers also says that Bozzotto fails to distinguish between valid and invalid workers' problems, and fights for anyone who complains. "We've had more arbitration with Local 26 than with all the other unions combined," he says. "Because of his ideological orientation, he sees management as the enemy instead of another person, and he refuses to compromise."