The first of Harvard's four unions to renew their contracts this winter opened fire last week when the Graphic Arts International Union (Local 300) presented Edward W. Powers, associate general counsel for employee relations, with a lengthy and ambitious list of contract demands.

They called for reduction of their work week, a built-in cost-of-living clause and coverage for a complete health care plan.

John A. Pilomeno, secretary-treasurer of Local 300, said last week the 25 union pressmen and lithographers at the University Printing Office will ask Harvard to reduce their work week from 40 hours to the 35-hour work week shared by all other non-salaried Harvard employees.

But the cost of living clause may be harder to win at the negotiating tables.

Other Harvard unions have unsuccessfully pushed for this clause in the past, but Pilomeno remains optimistic. "You can't get it unless you keep negotiating for it," he says.

"It's too early to say what's going to happen in the negotiations," Polimeno says. "We might not have any problems."

The union met yesterday to plan further meetings to discuss the upcoming negotiations.