HUCTW Ratifies Three-Year Contract

Members of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW) ratified with a vote of 81 percent of its 3,600 members a three-year agreement with the University which secures a salary increase but does not resolve the hotly-debated issue of benefits.

The agreement, which the union began negotiating in January, will increase members' salaries an average of twelve percent over the next three years, increase child care assistance and give members an extra day off at Christmas.

"We're very pleased with the vote," said Union President Donene M. Williams. "I don't think it's possible to get 100 percent on any vote, and this agreement is more complicated than any other we've negotiated."

HUCTW, formed in 1988, is Harvard's largest union, consisting of Harvard's non-faculty office, library and laboratory support staff.

"I think it's a very good agreement," said Marjorie McClung, a staff assistant in the School of Education's Career Services Office and a union representative. "A lot of people are not quite sure how the benefits committee negotiations are going to come out, but I thought it was important to have faith in the system."

The agreement was reached considerably faster than the last contract in 1992, when negotiations dragged on for more than a year.

"The University had a different stance than they did in 1992," Williams said yesterday. "The chief negotiator for the University, [Director of Labor Relations] Tim Manning is a skilled negotiator, and we used our mediators very well."

Manning said yesterday he was pleased with the members' vote and by the agreement itself.

"The employees were treated very fairly," he said.

The two sides did not come to a final agreement on benefits, which both sides confirmed was the most contentious issue of the negotiations. Instead, the two sides agreed to continue the discussions in the Joint Committee on Benefits, whose members include union negotiators, faculty members and University officials.

The committee will try to compromise on some of the most contentious portions of the proposed benefits changes before they take effect.

If no agreement can be reached, the current contract provides for a delayed schedule of implementation for controversial cuts.

The University's proposed changes to employee health benefits include increasing retiree contribution and reducing the University's contribution to insurance for part time staff. These changes are due to go into effect in 1996 and 1997 respectively.

Five of Harvard's eight unions negotiate separately with the University, but HUCTW is the only union which has created a committee with the University to discuss benefits.

HUCTW leaders vehemently protested the University's Committee on Benefits, which established a similar benefits package for faculty members last year, because the committee did not include any union representatives.

Williams said that the union might seek to eliminate some of the University's planned changes to benefits.

"I think a lot of people have faith in the union, that the union will represent us well and not let anything bad happen to HUCTW members and their benefits," said union members and activist Emily Scudder. "People have this faith because the history of representation has been very strong."

Williams said HUCTW would keep the other unions apprised of the progress of the committee, which she said would first meet next week.

Merry Touborg, a spokesperson for the Office of Human Resources, said yesterday Harvard was in the process of finalizing who will represent the University on the committee. Touborg said she did not know when the committee would first meet

The agreement was reached considerably faster than the last contract in 1992, when negotiations dragged on for more than a year.

"The University had a different stance than they did in 1992," Williams said yesterday. "The chief negotiator for the University, [Director of Labor Relations] Tim Manning is a skilled negotiator, and we used our mediators very well."

Manning said yesterday he was pleased with the members' vote and by the agreement itself.

"The employees were treated very fairly," he said.

The two sides did not come to a final agreement on benefits, which both sides confirmed was the most contentious issue of the negotiations. Instead, the two sides agreed to continue the discussions in the Joint Committee on Benefits, whose members include union negotiators, faculty members and University officials.

The committee will try to compromise on some of the most contentious portions of the proposed benefits changes before they take effect.

If no agreement can be reached, the current contract provides for a delayed schedule of implementation for controversial cuts.

The University's proposed changes to employee health benefits include increasing retiree contribution and reducing the University's contribution to insurance for part time staff. These changes are due to go into effect in 1996 and 1997 respectively.

Five of Harvard's eight unions negotiate separately with the University, but HUCTW is the only union which has created a committee with the University to discuss benefits.

HUCTW leaders vehemently protested the University's Committee on Benefits, which established a similar benefits package for faculty members last year, because the committee did not include any union representatives.

Williams said that the union might seek to eliminate some of the University's planned changes to benefits.

"I think a lot of people have faith in the union, that the union will represent us well and not let anything bad happen to HUCTW members and their benefits," said union members and activist Emily Scudder. "People have this faith because the history of representation has been very strong."

Williams said HUCTW would keep the other unions apprised of the progress of the committee, which she said would first meet next week.

Merry Touborg, a spokesperson for the Office of Human Resources, said yesterday Harvard was in the process of finalizing who will represent the University on the committee. Touborg said she did not know when the committee would first meet