The University and its largest union are extremely close to an agreement on capping the copayment required in the University health plan, according to both administration and union officials.

According to Donene M. Williams, president of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, only a few administrative details remain to be ironed out and an announcement is expected "within the next couple of weeks."

Merry Touborg, a spokesperson in the University's Office of Human Resources, confirmed that the agreement was forthcoming but said she was unable to comment because the deal is not yet finalized.

Under the current benefits package negotiated with the union, employees must pay $10 every time they visit the doctor.

Because these co-payments can add up for workers who have chronic health problems or children who require frequent medical care, the union has been negotiating with Harvard since September to limit the amount individuals would have to pay.

While Williams said she is not able to disclose the terms of the agreement, she said they are consistent with those that have been discussed in committee for the last several months.

Provost Albert Carnesale announced in May that two plans were under consideration ranging from a $100 cap for individuals to a $500 cap for families. The plans differ mainly in how they are structured, not necessarily in how much employees would have to pay, he said.

The negotiations on this issue took longer than she expected, Williams said, but the union president said she expects the agreement will ease employees' minds--and their pocketbooks.

With the co-payment issue out of the way, there remains one more major sticking point in the union's contract for 1997, Williams said.

The University and the union still have not agreed on benefits for part-time employees, Williams said. Even though this issue is more important to the union, discussions were postponed so that the more time-critical issue of co-payments could be resolved.

According to Carnesale, the issue needed to be resolved before this fall when the University will decide on its insurance packages.

Negotiations on benefits for part-time employees have been slow going, Williams said, and they are not included in the negotiations for this part of the contract. Williams said the University and the union will discuss these benefits for the next few months with an eye toward hammering out a deal by the first of the year, the date when the new contract is set to go into effect.

In spite of the delays in negotiations, Williams said she thinks the union is taking the right approach to the negotiations.

"It's definitely been a bumpier and more prolonged negotiation than others," she said. "But I think we did the right thing to settle the rest of the contract and continue negotiating on these issues.