Workers and management Saturday settled a contract dispute that threatened to delay construction for Harvard's $21.6 million Quad renovations project.

The dispute between the contractors and the Carpenter's Union would have sidelined 50 employees of Dimeo Construction--the firm administering the renovations.

"[The union] claimed they were ready to strike," said Donald DePardo, the Quad project manager at Dimeo. "It went down to the wire at the last minute," he said.

The strike would have come at a crucial period in the University's restoration plans, because the carpenters are now putting up partitions in Cabot House. Had that construction stopped, electricians and plumbers could not have continued their work, said Roger Cayer, the Planning Department's project manager in charge of renovations at the Quad.

As it turns out, Cabot House rooms will be entirely renovated by September.

"This year has been sort of like walking through a labor landmine," Cayer said. A strike by steel workers slightly slowed down construction, he added.

But with Saturday's settlement, it appears Harvard's building program--which includes the construction of two new dining halls--will be able to dodge damaging labor disputes.

Meanwhile, Harvard administrators said that many of the specific projects are on or near schedule.

.Interior renovations in two Cabot House Halls--Cabot and Whitman--will be completed by September 15, although work will continue through the fall on the basements and possibly also on the common rooms.

.The joint kitchen and the two new dining hallsare going to be ready this month, Cayer said.

Holmes hall in North house, will be completedon schedule.

Other North House renovations, however, havebeen delayed--but since they were never planned toaccomodate students for the fall semester, theywill not cause a housing crunch.

Comstock, a North House hall, was to have beencompletely renovated by early November, butbecause of delays on the Cabot House work, workerswere shifted from Comstock, so that Cabot would beready by September, Cayer said. Renovations in thedorm will be completed by late November or earlyDecember, although two floors will hold studentsin September.

However, since Comstock wasn't to have beenentirely ready until later this fall, provisionsfor relocating students had already been made.Dean L. Fred Jewett '57 told The Crimson earlierthis spring that approximately 20 students from Worth Housewill be living in 29 Garden St. for the firstsemester until renovations are completed.

In addition, renovations will soon get underwayon the North House house offices, which are now upfor subcontract bid, according to Cayer. Theseshould be completed sometime in the spring of1988, he added