Other workers who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were never informed that there was a negotiating team and that negotiations were underway.

The union members also expressed dissatisfaction with how the contract was explained to them.

Employees said Conway concentrated on the improvements for part-time workers and brushed over some of the effects and benefit cuts for full-time workers.

"She didn't explain the whole contract to us," said one worker who refused to vote on the basis that he was not well enough informed to make an educated decision.

"She slipped it by us," said another employee.

But many of the workers were so glad to receive a three-year deal that they didn't mind being kept in the dark about some of the details of the contract, Clarke said.

According to one worker, the entire contract was to be made available after the votes were tabulated last night.

Conway refused to comment after the vote last night. The exact vote count was unavailable.

In addition to representing Harvard's Facilities Maintenance workers, Local 254 also represents employees of UNICCO, an outside contractor that was hired this fall to clean many of the undergraduate houses before move-in.

Some workers last night said UNICCO membership in the union constitutes a conflict of interest for Local 254 negotiators