A total of 25 police officers were present for the event. Also present were several plain-clothed men with beige ear-plugs and walkie-talkies. It was unclear whether the men were law enforcement agents.

All police approached yesterday, including Riley, declined to comment.

The Issue

The primary reason for yesterday's rally was Harvard's hiring of contractors for renovation work who, according to the coalition, engage in unfair labor practices, said Erlich.

"The impact on [all the unions] is that Harvard is taking jobs with good pay and benefits and subsidizing them with jobs offering no benefits, lower pay and frequently illegally subsidizing the underground economy," Erlich said.

However, Harvard spokesperson Alex Huppe said Harvard has had a history of hiring primarily union contractors and requires all contractors to assure the University that they are abiding by legal labor practices.

Huppe said that the University has awarded to unions 85 percent of the $211 million spent on renovations over the last three years.

"We will continue to provide a level playing field for both union and non-union contractors," Huppe said.

The contract Jaeger presented yesterday made no mention of unions. Instead, it would have required Harvard to guarantee that it will only contract out to employees who abide by ethical and legal employing practices, according to Williams.

Huppe said he had not seen the contract and would not comment on reasons why it was not accepted yesterday.

Huppe defended allegations that the University is hiring contractors engaging in unethical and illegal practices.

But Huppe did admit that the cost difference between union and non-union contractors factors into the decision of employment.

He defended this distinction by saying that "we have to be very careful with the University's resources" when large cost differentials are at stake.

Erlich blasted Harvard for citing competitive prices as a reason for hiring non-union contractors.

"'Competitive' is becoming one of the most obscene words in the English language," Erlich said. "It means if you give up benefits then you will be competitive."