2000 Join Boston March To Support Farah Strike

About 2000 clothing workers and labor officials marched outside Boston's largest department stores yesterday to demonstrate support for striking Farah workers and for a nationwide boycott of Farah pants.

George Hardy, president of the Service Employees Union International, led the hour-long morning march past Filene's Jordan Marsh Co., and Kennedy's of New England. Union leaders criticized these stores for carrying Farah products.

The marchers chanted union slogans and passed out leaflets as they marched down Summer St. and Washington St. Demonstrators picketed each of the stores and encouraged shoppers to join their protest.

The Farah Pant Company, a national clothing concern, is engaged in a protracted labor dispute with pro-union chicano workers at their El Paso, Texas plant. Yesterday's protest was part of a nationwide demonstration called by leaders of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA).

Spokesmen for each of the three stores said yesterday that they were still carrying Farah pants despite the demonstration.

Tangible Evidence

Thomas Lyons, general manager of Kennedy's said. "Yes, of course we are," when asked if his company was still selling Farah pants. He added that he had seen no tangible evidence that the boycott was hurting his sales.

A secretary for Leon Slayton, vice-president in charge of advertising at Jordan Marsh, said yesterday that the company was still carrying the Farah line. Slayton refused to comment and prohibited the secretary from elaborating.

Clerks in the Filene's men's store said yesterday that they were still selling a full line of Farah products. The Filene's men's buyer was unavailable for comment.

Robert Wiseman, regional director of the ACWA, said Sunday that his union had convinced all the men's clothing stores in the Harvard Square area, except the Harvard Coop, to stop shelving Farah pants.

Wiseman said yesterday that he believed the Coop had given his union a firm commitment to drop the Farah line until the dispute is settled but that the Coop had inexpliesbly continued to sell the pants. He added that a committee of union officials would meet with Coop executive this week to clarify the situation.

Wiseman said that the union might stage demonstrations here if the Coop continues to stock Farah products.

Howard W. Davis, general manager of the Coop, said Sunday that his company will continue to sell that he did not know if an agreement had been reached with the union preventing new orders.

The Coop Board of Directors discussed the Farah boycott at a meeting two months ago, but took no action. Davis said, however, that new evidence presented by two chicano Law students on the situation in El Paso had prompted the Coop to investigate the issue further.

Two student members of the Coop's board Michael E. Porter, a fourth-year graduate student, and Joseph Angland, a first-year Law student, are conducting the investigation. They will decide today whether to present the chicanos' case to the board meeting Wednesday or postpone action until January.

Porter said yesterday that he had been told by the Coop management that dropping the Farah line would cause a major revenue loss. He added that he thought the Board of Directors would have to decide the issue