Forged in the heat of intense negotiations between union mediators, Progressive Student Labor Movement protesters and Harvard administrators, a new committee has been formed to address labor issues at Harvard--including outsourcing, benefits and a living wage.

The committee, which will be chaired by Professor of Economics Lawrence Katz, is responsible for reporting to President-elect Lawrence H. Summers by Dec. 19.

Although the committee's report and recommendations will not be binding, both Harvard spokesperson Joe Wrinn and PSLM members have expressed their belief that the committee's findings are likely to guide Harvard's employment policies.

According to a statement released by the Harvard News Office, the new committee will not be limited to the issues or conclusions addressed by the May 2000 report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Employment Policies.

Led by Weatherhead Professor of Business Administration D. Quinn Mills and made up of faculty and administrators, that committee recommended increased health benefits and worker training in place of a wage floor such as the one proposed by PSLM.

PSLM has repeatedly termed the Mills report inadequate for workers' needs, and has accused the Harvard administration of dragging its feet in making benefits accessible to workers.

With 11 faculty members, two administrators, three unionized workers and four students--two undergraduates and two graduates--the new committee represents a demographic departure from both its predecessor and from other University committees, which almost never include students.

The Undergraduate Council's Student Affairs Committee (SAC) will select the undergraduates and the Graduate School Council will choose the graduate students.

The council began to formulate the selection process for undergraduates last night in an emergency session of its executive board.

Students interested in serving on the committee will be asked to submit a written statement no later than next Monday at noon. After that, SAC will meet to select the two nominees, which then have to be approved by the full Undergraduate Council in a special meeting next week.

The faculty on the committee come from five of Harvard's schools: the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), the Kennedy School of Government (KSG), the Law School, the Graduate School of Education and the School of Public Health.

FAS has the most seats with four members: Kahn Associate Professor of Economics Caroline M. Hoxby `88, Reischauer Professor of Japanese Politics Susan J. Pharr, Alford Professor of Natural Religion, Moral Philosophy and Civil Policy Thomas M. Scanlon, Jr., and Pforzheimer University Professor Sidney Verba `53.

The law school is represented by Story Professor of Law Daniel J. Meltzer `72, Professor of Law Martha L. Minow and Kirkland and Ellis Professor of Law David B. Wilkins `77, while Littauer Professor of Political Economy David T. Ellwood `75, Professor of Education Marcelo Suarez-Orozco and Professor of Tropical Public Health Dyann F. Wirth round out the faculty representation.

Representing the administration will be Vice President and General Counsel Anne Taylor and KSG Executive Dean Bonnie Newman.

Harvard's three main unions will all be represented as well: Edward Childs for Hotel Employees Restaurant Employees Local 26, which represents dining hall staff; Alexandra Chisholm for the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers; and Jean Phane of Service Employees International Union Local 254, whose union represents janitors and custodians.

Additionally, Lamont University Professor Emeritus John T. Dunlop will serve as a senior adviser.

-Staff writer Garrett M. Graff contributed to the reporting of this article.

-Staff Writer Ross A. Macdonald can be reached at jrmacdon@fas.harvard.edu.