Brown's contract with the library workers' union was extended for two more weeks when negotiators parted ways late Thursday night.
Originally set to expire Sept. 30, the contract was extended until Oct. 14, and now again until Oct. 28. Negotiations will continue this week.
Following a rally to support library workers on the steps of the Rockefeller Library last Thursday, negotiators returned to discussions facilitated by a federal mediator Thursday at 1 p.m.
As the night wore on, many had not eaten dinner, save some birthday cake one of the library workers shared, the union's business agent Karen McAninch '74 said. But fundamental questions lingered over two points of language as time ran out, leaving no time to debate quantitative issues such as workers' contributions to health benefits, she said.
"We were all focused on what we were doing," McAninch told The Herald. "We just wanted to get through those two issues and put them to bed."
But by 10 p.m. — with the contract set to expire in just hours — both sides agreed to throw in the towel until this week.
"Brown values its employees, and our goals in this process are consistent with remaining an employer of choice: to offer competitive and equitable salaries and benefits for all employees, and a positive and desirable work environment," Director of Labor and Employee Relations Joe Sarno '91 wrote in an e-mail to The Herald on Wednesday. Sarno declined to comment for this article.
One point of contention in the contract's language involves the University's ability to change workers' schedules. McAninch said the University is seeking to replace the union's ability to instate a six-month moratorium on shift changes with a policy of 45 days' notice.
McAninch also said library workers are currently insured through either Blue Cross or UnitedHealthcare, but the University has proposed new language for the contract that would give it the ability to drop one of the providers.
McAninch said though Blue Cross may have higher administrative costs, the plan has a larger network of providers. Dropping it could adversely affect employees with family members on their plan in different regions of the country — such as students — as well as employees themselves who seek medical care in other states, she said.
Regarding employees' contributions to health care premiums, McAninch said the University's offer still stands at 11 percent of premiums in the first year, followed by 13 percent the next year and 15 percent in the third year. Their current contribution is 6 percent. These increases, she said, would be accompanied by a 1.25 percent increase in pay each year.
"There's no way we're going to be agreeing to either of those figures," McAninch said.
She added that though the two sides did not reach agreements on either of the language issues, the mediator helped them come to some common understandings.
"There's still some ways to go, but I think we made some progress," McAninch said.
Though the University generally does not comment on the details of ongoing negotiations, Vice President for Public Affairs and University Relations Marisa Quinn wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that Brown's negotiators "appreciate the cordial and professional manner that have characterized these bargaining sessions," and "are hopeful that remaining issues will be resolved promptly during the contract extension."
McAninch said negotiations will continue Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.
"I'm very hopeful," she said. "I'm imagining we'll get through these language issues in the next week, and then we can move on to the money issues."
