An on-going dispute between the University and its security guards, who have been working without a contract since 1996, has led to the appointment of a mediator, administration officials close to the negotiations said yesterday.

Officials said the guards' union, the Harvard University Patrolman's Union, will meet Nov. 17 with Kim A. Roberts '78, Harvard's labor negotiator. Harvard officials characterized the meeting as a "get acquainted session," but union chief Steve McCone will likely ask Roberts about a long-discussed buyout plan for experienced guards and argue the guard's side of a three-year-old contract dispute.

Harvard's 60-some security guards have been without a new contract since the fall of 1995, when they formed their own union. In a series of interviews with The Crimson, they complained of being overworked, underpaid and under-appreciated.

"We've been without a raise for five years," one guard said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "And we don't get feedback from our own union."

Neither McCone, a veteran Harvard security guard, nor Roberts could be reached for comment yesterday.

University officials disputed the guards' claims, saying they received in 1996 a lump sum payment in lieu of a raise, and that the guards have been without a contract for only two years.

But several security guards said they feel their place at the University shrinking. No guards have been hired since 1990, they said, but the workload has increased. And the University has out-sourced some of the guards' duties to outside security firms.

Several said they would like to leave but, as one put it, "we have families to feed."

A senior guard who has been on the force "for a long time" said union officials promised him a buyout of his contract before Commencement last year.

"And I'm still here," he said.

The guard said he faults McCone and the union for "not communicating with us" and the University "for not letting us know what's going on."

The guards, who are part of the Harvard University Police Department, are responsible for patrolling the grounds and controlling access to campus buildings. They also serve as parking attendants and museum guards.

Joe Wrinn, a University spokesperson, declined to comment on the negotiations.

"I can't get into to any kind of specifics, except to sat that security on campus is important and the safety of everybody at Harvard is important and, we're assessing the best way to address their need," he said.

Guards say that morale has been "very low" recently, because of their con-

tract woes and because of on-the-job deaths ofseveral of their colleagues.