By a vote of 223 to 63, Union 560 voted down the College's latest contract offer at a meeting yesterday in Webster Hall.
Roger Brock, Dartmouth's director of human resources, thought the decision was unfortunate and surprising.
"We're in uncharted waters now and it's kind of frightening. It's like a huge puzzle and we're having a problem finding the right pieces. It's not as easy as it appears," Brock said.
"Roger Brock knows very well what's wrong. We've had 17 meetings. He's got a very good idea where we're coming from," Earl Sweet, president of Union 560, said.
Sweet said the union wants the assurance that no union jobs will be converted from 12 to nine-month positions.
Many of the Dartmouth Dining Service employees voiced their support today by wearing buttons saying, "I am a member of Union 560."
Others verbally expressed their dissension. "Why won't the college be fair? What about our families?" Michele Howard, DDS employee, asked.
Although Brock said Sunday that this contract was the final offer, he now says negotiation is still possible.
"We're not taking the position that this is concrete. We'll see where we go from here," Brock said.
"I don't understand why they're hanging us up unless they want to bust up the union," Sweet said. "I just don't think it's fair to the students to keep this going."
However, Brock reiterated that he anticipates no action disruptive to the students.
The date of the next meeting is undecided, but Jim Foss of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in Boston will be brought in to sit down with the College and the Union on their 18th meeting since April.
"It's not the sort of thing you make a speedy decision on. We've got to find out more about their concerns," Brock said.
The Union has a protest planned in front of Parkhurst on Oct. 3.
"The College is going to react to the issues and not the protests," Brock said.
