Workers charge that the plan does not provide adequate income for retired employees and that it is constricted by an overreliance on social security benefits.

Administrators counter that since Harvard improved the plan in response to a 1986 employee survey, those concerns have been addressed.

"Most plans take social security into account. Before 1986, the Harvard pension was calculated and then 80 percent of an employee's social security was deducted. Now we take a lesser cut of social security," said Joan Bruce, who is in charge of employee benefits. Bruce adds that Harvard's social security plan is viewed by other employers in the Boston area as "generous."

HUCTW organizers argue that unionization will improve pension benefits, using the Yale contract agreement as a case in point.

The Yale contract improved pensions by approximately 10 percent, according to Richard Silva, Yale director of benefits and records. The contract assured that pension benefits would be calculated independent of social security benefits.

Although pensions at Yale improved, they may not be as generous as at Harvard. Under Harvard's current pension plan, an employee who worked at the University for 20 years and left with a $20,000 final salary would garner an annual retirement benefit of $5,650. Yale's plan, as described by Silva, would give the same employee $4,450 each year.

However, union organizers point out that regardless of the numbers, employees are concerned about their pensions and their needs must be addressed. "You can't get by the reality that people are scared, and don't think they can survive on their pensions," says Rondeau.

Medical Benefits

Indeed, benefits are an issue that electrifies virtually all support staff. Ninety percent of the workers interviewed said they need better medical benefits; their main demand was that Harvard pay the full cost of health insurance premiums.

Harvard currently offers employees a choice of nine health insurance plans. The University donates $78 each month to the health insurance company on behalf of each individual worker, or $195 for each family plan, while the employee pays the remainder.

All of the workers who are dissatisfied with the medical plan say it ranks below the Yale benefit plan. Medical coverage available to employees at Yale and Harvard is equivalent. Yet Yale pays 100 percent of the premium on the in-house health plan, or spends the same dollar amount on another plan held by the employee.

The most common complaint about the medical plan is that Harvard does not offer an adequate dental program. Until 1986 the University did not offer a dental plan at all. Now employees pay $3.20 a month for individual dental care or $9.80 for family coverage.

Employees again point to Yale's dental plan as a paragon. Yale pays for the entire cost of diagnostic and preventive dental work and 80 percent of the fees for fillings or extractions. In effect, Harvard's program funds only two-thirds of the cost of these services.

Child Care

Another benefit that Harvard support staff find lacking is child care.