At a faculty meeting called to discuss the Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM)'s sit-in last Friday, University President Neil L. Rudenstine announced his intention to form a new committee to reexamine the living wage issue-a process that could begin as early as this week.

The decision represents a significant concession for administrators who had initially called the issue of a living wage of $10.25 per hour for all Harvard employees "closed" when the sit-in began 13 days ago.

In their initial refusal to reopen debate on the issue, administrators cited the results of a 100-page report released last spring. The report recommended that in lieu of a mandatory wage floor the University enlarge the scope of worker benefits, including health insurance, education and access to campus facilities.

Since the release of the report, administrators have refused to budge, maintaining that their only move would be to implement the recommendations.

As a result of Rudenstine's decision to reopen the living wage issue, twelve out of the thirteen House Masters issued an open letter Friday calling on Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM) members to end the sit-in.

"We believe that students have brought this phase of their campaign to a successful completion and we urge them to come out of Massachusetts Hall in a peaceable fashion, to permit normal life to return to the premises, and to allow the orderly work of the University to resume," the letter reads.

This is significantly different in tone from the open letter the masters issued a week ago. The initial letter expressed support for the students campaigning for a living wage and urged administrators to negotiate.

But heartened by Friday's "astonishing" show of faculty support, the 37 students occupying the administrative building will continue sitting in for a living wage, PSLM member Benjamin L. McKean '02 said yesterday.

"We will be here until we feel like being here has exhausted its usefulness," said McKean, who is also a Crimson editor. "It hasn't yet."

In fact, momentum for the campaign for a living wage continues to build as the "tent city" of student supporters increases and the PSLM members occupying Mass. Hall continue to gain endorsements.

President of the AFL-CIO John Sweeney will speak outside Mass. Hall this afternoon at what is being billed as the "largest rally yet."

PSLM members received a six page long handwritten letter from the dining hall workers of Cabot and Pforzheimer house saluting the students for their "courage" and "fortitude."

And a majority of faculty members at Friday's meeting spoke in support of a living wage.

A Round of Applause

PSLM members say they view the faculty meeting as a victory-only one faculty member spoke out against a living wage at the meeting.

"The tone of the faculty was favorable to the campaign," said Professor Everett Mendelsohn. "A number of people commended the students for teaching them about issues of economic justice."

According to Mendelsohn, faculty members who support the living wage were quite pleased with the meeting's tone.

"It's absolutely amazing for an emergency faculty meeting to be called and to have it go so completely against the administration's stance," McKean said.

Rudenstine began the meeting by talking broadly about the living wage issue and the occupation of Mass. Hall, Mendelsohn said.

Responding to a suggestion that the students be evicted, Rudenstine told the assembled faculty that, if conditions remain as they are, the students would not be evicted and police would not remove the protesters from the building. The promise elicited applause from the faculty members.

In the most important move of Friday's meeting, Rudenstine announced that he would reopen the living wage issue by assembling a new committee that could include student representatives.

The original Ad-Hoc Faculty Committee on Employment Policies took a full 13 months to release its 100-plus page report last spring.

But it could be easier the second time around.

Since the Ad-Hoc committee laid much of the groundwork, University Vice President Paul S. Grogan, who attended Friday's meeting, said that a new committee could address a more well-defined set of questions.

The original committee was given the rather broad charge of exploring issues of low-paid Harvard workers.

They had to start from scratch-figuring out the number of workers who earned below the living wage.

"It might be possible to give a new committee a sharper focus," Grogan said.

"This represents a very significant move that the President is willing to look again at this whole series of issues so soon," he continued. "This is an extraordinary thing to do."

A Call to Leave the Building

Rudenstine's intention to reopen the living wage issue garnered vocal support from the House Masters this weekend.

In Friday's letter, Maters referred to a "meeting" between Rudenstine and the students who have now spent more than 250 hours in Mass. Hall.

Friday was the first time Rudenstine had addressed the students directly since the occupation of the building began. But McKean says the Friday morning visit was more of a "prepared address" than a "meeting."

McKean said students were only given a few seconds notice by visiting House Masters before Rudenstine entered Mass. Hall, and that Rudenstine left no time for discussion.

He said Rudenstine's address was merely "an amplified version of the ad he took out in The Crimson."

As Rudenstine quickly left the building, McKean called after the University President to try to set up a meeting. McKean said he hopes to be able to have a dialogue with Rudenstine in the next few days..

--Staff Writer Daniela J. Lamas can be reached at lamas@fas.harvard.edu