Contract Memo Circulated

Top Harvard managers, swamped with questions from faculty and other administrators about the progress of contract negotiations with the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, have responded in an unusual memo.

The memo, marked "personal and confidential," was distributed earlier this month to all faculty, administrative and professional staff from the deans. It is the first time University management has formally shared with more than a few people the specific elements of its argument against union salary increase demands.

Leaders of the 3600-member union termed the memo "a betrayal" of an understanding between the two sides not to disclose the specifics of the negotiations for a contract to replace the one that expired June 30.

But Harvard Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs John H. Shattuck said the in formation in he memo was not unduly specific. He said the letter became necessary as faculty increasingly addressed their questions about the negotiations to President Neil L. Rudenstine and the various deans.

Shattuck said the letter was marked "personal and confidential" partly for legal reasons, and he said management wanted to avoid the appearance of negotiating publicly with the union.

The union questioned the logic of labeling a letter "personal and confidential" and sending it to an estimated 10,000 people, many of whom have union members open all their mail.

The memo said the main obstacle to an agreement is disagreement over how big the union's pay raise should be.

"In recent weeks, the University has made clear its willingness to provide a wage increase as high as 4%, averaged among all HUCTW employees, during the first year of a three-year contract, with some modest flexibility beyond 4% in years two and three," the memo said.

But union chief negotiator Bill Jaeger said the memo is not a fully completeand accurate portrayal of management's position."We haven't really seen a respectful 4 percentoffer from the University," he said.

Union President Donene M. Williams saidmanagement's proposal of a four percent raisewould also have gutted the progressive increaseprogram whereby clerical and technical workers arerewarded for years of service to the University.

There is no mention in the memo of such changesin the salary increase structure and shattuckrefused to comment on what he called "details" ofthe negotiations.

The memo attempted to provide an "economiccontext" for management's negotiating position. Itsaid the Boston area consumer price index has been2.6 percent over the past year, and that themedian wage increase for the first year of unioncontracts negotiated in New England during thefirst six months of 1992 was 2.5 percent.

It said, "Harvard continues to be successful inattracting and retaining clerical and technicalemployees," and Harvard salaries compare favorablywith those of other area universities.

Salary increases effective July 1992 fornon-faculty administrative and professional staffaveraged 4 percent, the memo said.

The total compensation, including benefits, ofHarvard clerical and technical workers increasedon average more than 10 percent a year during thelast three-year contract period, according to thememo.

"Harvard is committed to increasing the salaryof all of its employees at a rate that is higherthan inflation and that is better than otheremployers in the area," Shattuck said.

Members of the union earn an average of $23,000a year. They argue that they need more money tosupport families in Cambridge, and that theirwages have historically been depressed by genderdiscrimination.

The parties have been assisted in negotiationsby an outside mediator, and hope to agree on acontract soon. The pace of the negotiations slowedin the past few weeks as some negotiators tookvacations.

The 18,000 students who arrive on campus thisweek may affect the talks. Jaeger said unionleaders have already met with some student groups

Union President Donene M. Williams saidmanagement's proposal of a four percent raisewould also have gutted the progressive increaseprogram whereby clerical and technical workers arerewarded for years of service to the University.

There is no mention in the memo of such changesin the salary increase structure and shattuckrefused to comment on what he called "details" ofthe negotiations.

The memo attempted to provide an "economiccontext" for management's negotiating position. Itsaid the Boston area consumer price index has been2.6 percent over the past year, and that themedian wage increase for the first year of unioncontracts negotiated in New England during thefirst six months of 1992 was 2.5 percent.

It said, "Harvard continues to be successful inattracting and retaining clerical and technicalemployees," and Harvard salaries compare favorablywith those of other area universities.

Salary increases effective July 1992 fornon-faculty administrative and professional staffaveraged 4 percent, the memo said.

The total compensation, including benefits, ofHarvard clerical and technical workers increasedon average more than 10 percent a year during thelast three-year contract period, according to thememo.

"Harvard is committed to increasing the salaryof all of its employees at a rate that is higherthan inflation and that is better than otheremployers in the area," Shattuck said.

Members of the union earn an average of $23,000a year. They argue that they need more money tosupport families in Cambridge, and that theirwages have historically been depressed by genderdiscrimination.

The parties have been assisted in negotiationsby an outside mediator, and hope to agree on acontract soon. The pace of the negotiations slowedin the past few weeks as some negotiators tookvacations.

The 18,000 students who arrive on campus thisweek may affect the talks. Jaeger said unionleaders have already met with some student groups