But after spending several years buildinggroundwork, the relationship faltered whencontract negotiations began in 1992.

"Mostly [the negotiations] soured over basicdisagreements about the salary increase program,and how great the increases should be," Jaegersays.

Antagonism increased as the negotiationsdragged on more than 60 months past the expirationdate of the old contract and reached a peak inDecember when thousands turned out to hear theReverend Jesse L. Jackson speak at a union rally.

The dispute was not resolved for long when, in1994, union and University officials began tobattle over health care benefits.

The conflict over how the University shouldreduce health care costs dragged on for about fiveyears and provoked the months of picketing outsideMass. Hall and President Neil L. Rudenstine'sElmwood home.

When a compromise was finally reached lastyear, HUCTW could look back on a nine-year historydominated by tough fights.

With the recent contract extension, HUCTW canend its first decade on a somewhat more positivenote.

But union officials emphasize that the peacebetween Harvard and HUCTW does not imply a stasis.

They say they are eager to continue to improvethe relationship between employees and management,particularly by increasing employee influence inUniversity decisions.

"We want more participation and deeperparticipation," Jaeger says. "We want to beinvolved in more of the decisions that affect usas a working group."

Jaeger says the first step toward this goal isthe resurrection of the University Joint Council(UJC), whose creation was mandated by HUCTW'soriginal collective bargaining agreement.

The council, which has not met for severalyears, includes an equal number of representativesof the union and the University, and considers anagenda which it sets on its own.

One of the first issues the UJC is consideringis diversity among Harvard's employees, accordingto Price. She says the council may develop adiversity awareness training program foremployees.

Though it is intended to give employees agreater say in University affairs, it is notentirely clear what force the UJC'srecommendations will be proposed.

"We're in the process of figuring that out,"Taylor says.