The City's ordinance also requires contractorsto hire a prescribed minimum percentage ofminority and women workers.

Galluccio stressed that the apprenticeshipprogram is the most important part of theproposal.

"The City has recognized the benefits ofemploying trade union members who have learnedtheir trade by going through rigorousapprenticeship programs under the supervision ofhighly skilled workers," Galluccio wrote toRudenstine.

"I think it's incredibly ironic that a majoruniversity would employ a company that has notraining for young people," Laughlin said.

The policy does not mandate that contractorsemploy union members, though supporters say aunion is often the best way to ensure compliance.

"The best way to guarantee a responsibleemployer is through a union," said Daniel R.Morgan '99, a member of PSLM who participated inthe rally.

Harvard already makes provisions to supportunion bidders, according to Merry Touborg,director of communications for the Office of HumanResources. Touborg said contracts worth over$50,000 are required to have at least one unionbidder, and ordinarily all projects worth morethan $500,000 are required to go to contractorswho employ unionized workers.

"Our general philosophy is that because we aresignificant employer of trade workers in Bostonand Cambridge, we feel it is important to supportcertain values that unions are representative of,meaning adequate wages and benefits and youthapprenticeship programs," Touborg said.

But Touborg warned that each school operates onits own budget and Harvard policy "need[s] topreserve each school's ability to make the most ofits resources."

Wrinn defended the University's contractingrecord: "Over 90 percent of the jobs that arecompetitively bid at Harvard have gone to unioncontractors in the past," he said. "I think wehave a very good record and relationship withunions here.