University and Trade Workers Resume Contract Negotiations

Representatives of the University and the Buildings and Grounds trade unions resumed negotiations for a new contract yesterday after a one-and-a-half month break. The trade workers have been working without a contract since early December when their previous contract with Harvard expired.

Union representatives presented Harvard negotiators with 29 proposals including calls for cheaper health insurance and a 15 percent annual wage increase at yesterday morning's meeting. Three hundred workers in the University's five trade unions are involved in negotiations represented by the Maintenance Trades Council.

Both sides had earlier agreed to suspend the talks for a month and a half so the union could research health benefit plans and gather information pending reorganization of B&G management.

Joseph Nigro, a member of the union's negotiating committee, emphasized yesterday that the initial union wage proposal was flexible. "An initial offer is pie-in-the-sky, a dream offer," he said.

"If you go out with a wage increase somewhere our initial offer and their initial offer, most of the time you have a good increase," Nigro said.

Health Plans

The council also wants to offer University trade workers the unions' own health plans, Nigro said. These health plans are cheaper than Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance, so that Harvard could pay a larger share of health costs with one of the union plans and still save money, Nigro said.

However, John Simmons, a business agent for Painters' District Council 35, noted that each of the five unions which compose the trade council has a different health plan. Deciding which plan to establish could be very complicated, he said.

Subcontracting

The trade unions are particularly upset about University policy of contracting maintenance of its real estate holdings rather than using Harvard union workers, Nigro said.

Andrew Sillins, secretary-treasurer for the council said through a secretary that he would not comment on the contract talks. Other coalition officials were not available for comment.

Edward W. Powers, associate general counsel for employee relations and the University's chief labor negotiator, said yesterday that Harvard's initial wage increase offer will be "something less than 15 percent." He declined to comment further on the University's bargaining positions.

Powers indicated that any wage increases in the unions' new contract will probably be retroactive to the date the previous contract expired.

No Strike

Union leaders say that a strike over the new contract is not likely. "I don't anticipate a strike as long as negotiations are moving," Simmons said.

The trade workers have gone on strike only once since the coalition began representing them in the late 60's. Workers staged a four day walk-out during contract negotiations in 1977.

Union leaders declined to speculate when the contract talks will conclude, but Powers said the negotiations should be completed soon.

"My guess is that we'll wrap it up quickly," Powers said, adding, "I don't see any insurmountable obstacles." He noted, however, that the complexity of renegotiating medical coverage could delay a new contract.

Both sides say they are currently considering a one year agreement because of the uncertainty generated by a pending B&G reorganization and the firing of former B&G Director J Lawrence Joyce last November.

Four of the five unions which represent Harvard employees are negotiating new contracts this spring. The University concluded a two-year pact with custodians and security guards last fall