Sources close to Phillips Brooks House have accused Assistant Dean for Public Service Judith H. Kidd of planning to fire a member of that organization's staff because of his leadership role in Harvard's biggest union.

A source close to the situation said Kidd told him that Thomas E. Canel '83, the bookkeeper and comptroller, will be laid off because his position is being restructured.

The source also said Canel is the secretary of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers and has been instrumental in union organizing and contract negotiations.

Those affiliated with Phillips Brooks House say that the University has had an anti-union perspective in their attempts over the last three years to gain control over the direction of public service at Harvard.

"The personnel department had it out for Tom because he is a leader in the union and he has pushed for better wages and better benefits for Harvard employees," said John B. King '95, the '94-'95 president of Phillips Brooks House Association.

In an telephone interview yesterday, Kidd denied ever telling anyone that Canel will be fired.

"That's not true in the slightest," she said. "No positions have been posted or laid off."

Phillips Brooks House Association, Inc. (PBHA) is a non-profit, student-run organization. Phillips Brooks House (PBH) is a department of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Kidd heads that department and all of its staff report to her.

Several PBHA student leaders said yesterday they are also angry that Kidd apparently decided to fire Canel without consulting them.

"What really bothers me about it is the whole process. She hasn't consulted students," said Harhie C. Han '97, the organization's vice president. "This is a very, very blatant disregard of all of her promises."

An Ongoing Conflict

Students involved in Phillips Brooks House yesterday accused Kidd of betraying the undergraduate organization.

"[Kidd] is making it difficult for us to believe that she's working for us in a good-faith effort," Han said.

Canel's possible firing is only the latest in a string of problems the students have had with Kidd since she took office.

"When Judith was brought in, a lot of folks around the University, including Harvard Magazine, said, 'She's not the best person, but we should give her a chance on the job,'" King said. "She's been given the chance, and she's not doing the right thing. She's doing exactly what they feared--the bidding of the administration."

Although all contracts are supposed to be negotiated by both PBHA and PBH, PBHA student leaders were not shown the contract for the Cambridge Youth Enrichment Program when it came up for renewal until the day before it was due, according to Han.

Han also said staff evaluations of Phillips Brooks House Association programs were not brought to the attention of the organization's leaders even though they meet with Kidd on a weekly basis.

"[This] process is symptomatic of a lot of other things," Han said. "She's cutting students out of her loop unless we say, 'Hey, how come students aren't included?'"

King said he believes this is a crucial time for the student leaders of Phillips Brooks House Association.

"Students can choose greater autonomy and have a fighting chance at [having] an organization that's independent and true to its mission, or they can submit to this hostile takeover by University Hall administrators," he said.

"My sense is that people at University Hall are using every tactic of threat and intimidation to keep students from choosing greater autonomy, so they fire people or they make threats about whether the University would still support public service in the same way if Phillips Brooks House Association was independent," he said.

Mixed Messages

Kidd said yesterday that she is working to expand the scope of the administrative duties of those who work in her office. She said she is currently meeting with the staff of Phillips Brooks House and the Faculty's office of personnel to determine whether the staff would be able to take on new duties.

"We need to look at our existing resources to make certain that we're able to fully serve all the student programs," she said. "It's too soon to speculate on changes."

While Kidd said no members of the staff bave been informed they will be laid off, King says Canel has been targeted for firing in part because he only works four days a week.

The Phillips Brooks House administration forced Canel to work those hours because money not spent paying Canel's salary one day a week could be saved to hire an assistant bookkeeper, according to King.

"[Canel] is being fired for his committment to the principles that are behind Phillips Brooks House. That's why he's working with the union, because he cares about working people." King said. "Now for them to go back and say he's only working four days a week is crazy. They were too stingy to pay for an assistant bookkeeper."

Kidd said she is not concerned by Canel's union involvement.

"The Phillips Brooks House bookkeeper is [a union member] and a full-fledged member of the Phillips Brooks House staff, and we all get along very well," she said.

Roy E. Bahta '98, PBHA treasurer, said yesterday that he will meet with Kidd today to discuss staff support for bookkeeping. But he said he does not know specifically what Kidd plans to discuss with him.

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 was unavailable for comment yesterday