Police Meet With Harvard Over Contract

Negotiators for the University and the Patrolmen's Association, the union representing the Harvard police force, will meet in Boston today with a state mediator in an effort to break the deadlock in negotiations for a new police contract.

The two parties will enter today's meeting still far apart, a source close to the negotiations said yesterday. The last meeting, on September 8, ended when Harvard negotiators walked out, claiming the union had introduced new demands during the session, and that the Patrolmen's Association had no right to do so once the dispute was in mediation.

According to the source, the union has been considering limiting itself largely to a discussion of salary in the mediation session, as a result of the September 8 dispute. The source would not say whether a final decision had been reached.

The old police contract expired on June 30 and the 49 patrolmen have been working without a contract since then. The state mediator was asked to assist in the late summer, after direct negotiations between Harvard and the union resulted in a stalemate.

The patrolmen are demanding a salary increase greater than 21 per cent for the next two years, claiming that the cost of living has risen 21 per cent over the last two years.

Harvard had increased its offer from an 8 per cent raise to one of 9.6 per cent according to the source.

Edward W. Powers, director of employee relations and Harvard's chief labor negotiator, yesterday reiterated his refusal to discuss the specific figures being negotiated.

He said he did not know whether the meeting would be limited to a discussion of the salary increase, or whether the union would again raise other questions, such as vacations and fringe benefits. Powers said he is "hopeful" that the procedural dispute will be resolved.