The University began negotiations this month with representatives of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW) on a new three-year contract for the union's 3,600 members.

Talks in this, the third time the University and HUCTW have negotiated a contract, began on April 6 and will continue at least throughout the spring.

HUCTW's current contract is scheduled to expire on June 30, and the last round of negotiations over staff contracts dragged on for more than six months.

Both sides hope to avoid a repetition of that acrimonious negotiation, in which charges of disinformation, betrayal and surliness were made by HUCTW and an outside mediator was called in an effort to restart the stalled process.

Merry Touborg, director of communications for the Office of Human Resources said last week she feels positive about the negotiations.

"We hope the negotiations build on and strengthen the University's relationship with the union," Touborg said. "[The University] is looking forward to working with the union on issues of mutual concern," she added.

However, Touborg stressed that the "extraordinary circumstances" created by the Faculty of Arts and Science's (FAS) $52 million deficit last year coupled with rapidly increasing costs, especially in health care, are forcing Harvard to ensure that employees are paid at or near market levels.

Touborg's guarded optimism is shared by Bill Jaeger, the union's chief negotiator.

"We are interested in working with theUniversity, and we think that the steps in theprocess will be smoother this time," Jaeger saidlast week. "This time Harvard's financial positionwould appear to be slightly better," he added.

Harvard has a new team of negotiators, headedby Tim Manning, the new director of laborrelations. Joining Manning at the bargaining tablewill be Lianne Sullivan, assistant director oflabor relations and Polly Price, associate deanfor human resources for FAS.

Jaeger will coordinate negotiations for HUCTWwith the assistance of other union members.

Although the negotiations are still in thepreliminary stages and the positions of the unionand the University on issues such as the basicsalary and progression increases are as yetunclear, the University-wide benefits package thatHarvard unveiled last November will probably be anearly sticking point.

Four out of the seven Harvard unions haveaccepted the package--which reduces theUniversity's contributions to faculty pensions andincreases some staff members' contributions tohealth care plans. The Faculty Committee onBenefits voted against the package three weeksago.

Other issues to be discussed at "side tables,"or non-binding discussion groups, include theprocess of hiring and work/family issues such asday care. Both sides are hoping to have a newcontract in place by the time the existingthree-year contract expires