HUCTW: Negotiations Lead to New Contract

In the brief history of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical workers, the last year rabies as one of the most eventful--and certainly the most boisterous.

On Halloween, contused union members chanted protests outside President Neil L. Rudenstine's house. In May, the union celebrated its fifth anniversary--and the signing of a new three-year contract--with speeches and parties.

The road in between was some what rocky. On June 30, 1992; the union's previous three-year contract, the product of a long negotiation in 1989, had expired with no new contract ready for implementation.

Months of negotiations following were marked by several major events. In September, Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D.Mass.) wrote a letter of support read at a rally outside Massachuseus Hall. In December, the Rev. Jake I. Jackson spoke by invitation in the Yard, attracting thousands of onlookers.

Some other occurrences were less serious but still crabbed their share of attention, such as the Halloween protest. Last July, Rudenstine was met at the airport by union members bearing flowers and playing "Hail to the Chief" on kazoos. At the Game against Yale, football spectators were treated to the sight of a plane drawing a banner behind it reading, "Harvard Works Because We Do."

Both sides flung accusations during the drawn- out negotiation process. Provost Jerry R. Green accused the union of spreading "disinformation." Union officials called the administration "mean spirited."

Amid confusion as to the exact day of settlement; Harvard and the 3500-member union finally both agreed that a new contract had been decided by January 7.

In the end, both sides professed satisfaction with the agreement.

Major provisions included Annual Average pay raises of between four and five percent for all three years of the contract, $240,000 in child care aid, $135,000 in education benefits over three years, progressive wage increases to reward seniority and new work security protections. The union and the University also agreed to continue discussion of the extension of health benefit to domestic partners of Harvard employees, which a committee examining the issue officially recommended May 20.

With an agreement signed and sealed, the high-profile marches, realer and protests will likely be rare. Harvard workers and managers are how faced with a quiet, behind the scenes, day-to-day challenge making the contract's paper ideal of labor-management joint ness into a workplace reality.