The University's janitors are expected to ratify a new three-year contract today that will raise their hourly wage by more than $1 by 2002, but members of the Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM) said the janitors will still not be making a living wage.

The members of the Local 254 of the Service Employees International Union, will convene in Science Center E to vote on the tentative terms of the contract, agreed to in writing on Saturday by the union's negotiating team and the Harvard administration.

Local 254 represents about 300 janitors, and is one of Harvard's smaller unions.

While union leadership is in favor of the contract and membership is expected to ratify it, many on campus are upset at the slow timetable of wage increases.

PSLM's Living Wage Campaign is planning a rally for today to urge Harvard to pay all its employees a $10 hourly wage immediately.

While the base wage of most custodians will rise above $10 by 2002 under the new agreement, PSLM members said the contract's extended timetable does not account for inflation.

PSLM member Amy C. Offner '01 said the wage increase was an improvement, but did not go far enough.

"What strikes me is that they're dancing around the living wage, and that after three years the living wage should have gone up with inflation, so this will no longer be a living wage," she said.