HUCTW Balks At Benefits Review

The first stage of the University-wide benefits review process has reached completion, but the Union of Harvard Clerical and Technical Workers refuses to participate in its designated role in the next phase, union President Donene M. Williams said yesterday.

"The procedure that they've described is deficient in many ways," Williams said. "I don't think the process as it is set up now can produce anything positive or meaningful."

The union released a letter to the community in November detailing complaints with the committee handling the process. Committee members include administrators from across the University in human resources and finance.

In addition, advisory groups composed of faculty and staff were to provide input to the main task force. But Williams said yesterday that the union had officially decided the advisory role to be inadequate.

"We don't acknowledge anything involved in an advisory committee," she said. "If we're not negotiating, we're not participating...We're never going to be in a position with the University where we just tell them what we think should happen and let them go their own way."

Provost Jerry R. Green said in an interview Monday that he has asked the union several times to join an advisory group or to form its own advisory group.

"I think they recognize that the task force is set up for the purpose of reviewing benefits, but...it's not the kind of group that has representatives," Green said. "It's simply a group of benefit experts."

Green said any changes the review committee decides on would not apply to union members, whose benefits are set by a pre-existing contract.

"Anything that we decide as a University about benefits doesn't affect them, because their benefits are negotiated," Green said. "We believe in the philosophy of jointness, which is part of our agreement with them, and decisions that affect the University we feel will benefit from their input."

He said those involved in the review processhad only studied existing benefits up until now."I chair the faculty advisory group," he said. "Ithink there are four others...There's one foremeritus faculty, one for retirees, one for exemptworkers and one for other unions."

But Williams said she did not know of anyunions that had joined advisory groups.

"They do not have one with the otherunions...because they haven't said they'llparticipate," she said. "We're all in a coalitiontogether and we have talked about it amongourselves."

Williams also said she had been told at onepoint that the task force committee was to berepresentative of those who would be affected bychanges in benefits.

Green said the task force and the advisorycommittees had not yet begun to discuss actualoptions for benefit systems. But he said there hadbeen "tremendous outreach" to the communitythrough several focus groups and surveys.

The task force will give a report in the springto the Corporation, Harvard's senior governingboard, which will make the final decision aboutthe matter.

"We've completed phase one, which is to educateourselves about all the benefits," Green said."Now we're about to start phase two inFebruary...examining specific options for change.

He said those involved in the review processhad only studied existing benefits up until now."I chair the faculty advisory group," he said. "Ithink there are four others...There's one foremeritus faculty, one for retirees, one for exemptworkers and one for other unions."

But Williams said she did not know of anyunions that had joined advisory groups.

"They do not have one with the otherunions...because they haven't said they'llparticipate," she said. "We're all in a coalitiontogether and we have talked about it amongourselves."

Williams also said she had been told at onepoint that the task force committee was to berepresentative of those who would be affected bychanges in benefits.

Green said the task force and the advisorycommittees had not yet begun to discuss actualoptions for benefit systems. But he said there hadbeen "tremendous outreach" to the communitythrough several focus groups and surveys.

The task force will give a report in the springto the Corporation, Harvard's senior governingboard, which will make the final decision aboutthe matter.

"We've completed phase one, which is to educateourselves about all the benefits," Green said."Now we're about to start phase two inFebruary...examining specific options for change.