The administration offered HUCTW, the University's largest collective bargaining unit, and the other unions what Green called "full partnership," the opportunity to join an advisory group or form their own.

"We were very dissatisfied with the process that went on last year," says HUCTW director Bill Jaeger. "They were determined to have a process that we had no meaningful part in. It was almost like that was a main goal."

In February, Green lashed out and accused the union leaders of being uncooperative.

"I have talked to HUCTW, trying to implore them to join or form an advisory group," Green said at the time. "We're open to their input formally or informally at any time."

But HUCTW President Donene Williams blasted Green, saying the advisory groups were playing little more than a token role in the benefits review.

"The process that [Green] describes is not one that includes any sort of respectful partnership," Williams said in February.

Williams and Jaeger stand by those statements today. Members of HUCTW, along with those of the six other Harvard-based unions, have steadfastly refused to consider accepting the changes until contract negotiations begin in the spring.

"We have a legitimate reason to expect a deeper inclusion in the process than that," Jaeger says. "We're union, we're organized. Our co-workers voted to form a union and to insist on a more equal kind of partnership for deciding things like that."

The non-union staff advisory committee which did eventually form was made up of 13 middle-level managers--assistant and associate deans, department administrators and directors.

"[Advisory groups are] a favorite technique the administration uses to hold people at arm's length," says one HUCTW member and Kennedy School employee. "Their [day-to-day] concerns are a lot different from ours. We know of people with families who make hard decisions as it is about allocating money."

In February, Green defended the advisory groups. He said he had "two feet" of files of data from the groups, which were meeting every few weeks.

It is not clear from the report how many times those groups met.

The Departure of Jerry Green

In April, the University suddenly, and without explanation, announced that Green would leave his post as provost and return to teaching.

Implicit in that, but never publicly stated, was the fact that Green, Harvard's first provost in four decades, would step down as head of the task force.