Police Talks Resume After Long Delay

Negotiations between Harvard and the union representing University police officers resumed yesterday after a three-month delay, as spokesmen for both sides reported progress toward a solution of their year-long contract dispute.

Laurence F. Letteri, president of the Harvard Police Association, said yesterday's four-hour meeting did not produce a substantive agreement, but set the stage for a possible settlement in the near future.

"From indications at this time, there is a possibility that something satisfactory may come of it," Letteri said.

Edward W. Powers, associate general counsel for employee relations, last night called the meeting "very constructive." He added that the two sides discussed "all the issues that separate us."

Harvard and the union have scheduled another bargaining session for next Tuesday afternoon in Holyoke Center.

The police officers have been working without a contract since July 5, when a six-month extension of their last contract expired. The contract talks have broken down continually since January, as the union has pressed its demands for greater job security and increased benefits.

Powers would not discuss the specifics of yesterday's meeting. Letteri would say only that the bargaining session dealt primarily with "fiscal matters."

Last spring the union rejected Harvard's reported offer of a 5 per cent pay increase tied to the cost of living. It has also asked for increased pay for officers working night and weekend shifts, and pressed for a guaranteed job for all officers, including those who do not pass the department's mandated physical examinations.

The two sides last winter called in the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to assist in the negotiations. Yesterday's meeting did not involve a federal mediator, but Powers said both parties are reporting their progress to the service.

Letteri also said he believes the talks will benefit from Sunday's decision by Joe B. Wayatt, vice president for administration, to release to the union the results of a recently completed management study of the University police department.

The report, which Harvard commissioned after the union complained of declining morale in the force, recommends a reorganization of the department to boost morale and improve efficiency.

"If the report that was handed down has any bearing on the negotiations that could help both sides, then it should be made public," Letteri said.

Wyatt has previously stated that he does not want the contents of the report to become "a bargaining issue.