Although attendants say they are frustrated bytheir lack of union representation, they have notabandoned the arbitration process.

Octavio Ramirez, a full-time attendant who hasworked at the museum for 11 years, filed agrievance against Trifiro last week alleging thathis boss is overly strict in restricting sickdays.

Ramirez says Trifiro has unfairly issuedwarnings saying he is abusing his sick time andrequired him to bring a doctor's note after eachabsence. By the expired November 1992 agreement,full-time attendants are allowed 15 days of sicktime each year.

"I was sick two days of storms and after thatshe called me into the office and gave me thewarning," Ramirez says. "My contract said that I'mallowed to take 15 days."

But Sage, who was Ramirez's unionrepresentative until last week, said he turned thegrievance process over to a union steward in theUniversity security guard unit.

And Sage says he supports Trifiro's strictlimitations on sick time.

"As far as sick times goes, Ramirez takes timeoff prior to his time off," Sage says. "Sick daysin Harvard are not to be used for days off orvacation time or anything like that."

In copies of the warning issued by Trifiro lastmonth and obtained by the crimson, the securitychief says Ramirez abused six of his seven sickdays in fiscal year 1994 by using them to extendhis weekends.

"We understand there may be times when you areill," Trifiro wrote. "However, sick time is abenefit provided to you as a means of paycontinuation when you are physically unable tocome to work. It is not intended, nor should beused, as an entitlement."

Ramirez says the grievance was denied byTrifiro. But he adds that he will continue topursue the matter with Trifiro's superiors.

"I wasn't abusing sickdays," Ramirez says, "Inmy contract I have the right to 15 days, and I'dmissed seven days when she wrote me up."

In two other written warnings, Trifiro saidRamirez's attendance pattern showed an abuse ofsick time because 11 of the 13 sick days he tookextended his weekend.

But Ramirez says he used the majority of thosesick days after the birth of his new baby. He saysTrifiro taunted him because of his wife'spregnancy by saying: "Are you going to have babiesevery year?"

Ramirez says he feels Trifiro manipulates hisfamily situation to threaten him withunemployment.

"Every time I call in sick, she always mentionsmy family," he says. "She says 'I know you have tofeed your kids.' In cases like that she shouldn'tuse your family."