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Harvard Faculty Sign Living Wage Petition

Assistant Professor of English and American Literature and Language Ann Pelligrini '86 said she was contacted viae-mail.

Overall, the campaign estimates that it hascontacted over 300 faculty members, but memberssaid they have yet to contact much of the Facultyof Arts and Sciences. Members hope to obtain150-200 more signatures.

"There's a huge portion of the faculty which wehave yet to contact," Halpern said. "The mailinghas gone out to a fraction of the FAS Faculty. Weintend to contact all of the graduate schools."

Members of the campaign said they hope the coregroup of faculty members who have already signedthe petition will encourage other faculty membersto follow suit. The also hope that students willbe encouraged by their professors support of thecampaign to join in.

This tactic may already be working, accordingto Keenan.

"I've talked to some other faculty members insocial studies... and I've encouraged them to signit," he said.

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Meanwhile, campaign members say that Universityofficials are already discussing the possibilityof instituting a living wage at Harvard though afaculty task force to examine Harvard's currentemployment practices.

The committee, which has met twice thissemester, is chaired by D. Quinn Mills,Weatherhead professor of business administration,and includes professors of economics, health carepolicy and law, in addition to administrators suchas Sally H. Zeckhauser, vice president foradministration, and Kim A. Roberts '70, directorof labor and employee relations.

"The proverbial purse strings of Harvard lay inher hands," Halpern said, referring to Zeckhauser.

But faculty supporters said change will likelycome slowly.

"Institutional change is always slower thanhoped," Pellegrini said. "My expectation is thatthis will be a very slow process."

But if the University does institute a livingwage, professors and students alike said theybelieve that it would set an example for the restof the country.

"If we could persuade Harvard to follow thatmoral guideline that might have some influence onthe larger society," Keenan said.

In addition to tomorrow's rally in front of theScience Center, the campaign is also planning acommencement event to draw attention to the livingwage issue.

Detailed plans have not yet been made, butHalpern said that it would try to increaseparents' awareness of the issue.

At the same time, Halpern hastened to add thatthe proposed event was not meant to be a threat tothe administration.

"We don't want to be known as the group thatruined commencement," Halpern said

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