Facing the expiration of their current contract today, workers with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 715 are resuming negotiations with the University in hopes of immediate resolution.

The talks continue two months of discussion this summer, and follow a workers rally and march yesterday at 4 p.m. in the Quad. Supporters, including students, community members and other labor forces came out against the cutting of benefits and the University’s “hostile attitude” toward the union.

United Stanford Workers President Zev Kvitky, a leader at the rally, roughly estimated 400 attendees and called the event “very successful.”

“I think people were very clear in expressing their dissatisfaction, their anger at the negotiations right now, and also their desire to have a fair contract by tomorrow,” Kvitky said. “One of the very clear messages sent today was that people are proud to work at Stanford, but people expect Stanford to put their promises in writing. If it’s proud of the benefits that it offers, it needs to put them in writing and on contract, and people are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that.”

The contract negotiations and workers march follow negotiations this past February when the same contract was under review. Under threat of strike, an agreement was reached regarding pension plans, with the University conceding to changing the base earnings year (from 1992 to 1994) for its Stanford Retirement Annuity Plan (SRAP), thereby increasing the benefit.

The University had proposed implementing its Stanford Contributory Retirement Plan (SCRP) for new employees, which would create a “two-tiered” system. The decision not to do so pleased union workers, with 93 percent of voting members supporting it.

Other controversial areas of the contract, though, ended up being left for later discussion in the summer.

“The problems are largely the same,” Kvitky said. “They are over significant cuts implemented for retiree health care. Although Stanford is so willing to provide family health care, they’ve announced it at a level that we believe will not provide assistance to most of the people who need it.”

Even after two months, Kvitky said the University and union are still “very far apart on the issues most important to our members.”

With the contract expiration looming, though, negotiations have stepped up, and in a statement to The Stanford Weekly, the University said it “is continuing to negotiate in good faith with the union, with the goal of reaching a new contract before expiration of the current contract.”

In negotiations Tuesday, according to a statement yesterday by Diane Peck, executive director of Human Resources for the University, tentative agreements were already reached regarding “the definition of ‘close family member’” as well as “updating Side Letter 14 in light of the University’s fulfillment of its commitment to create 40 new positions in Dining Services.”

“The Union and University discussed and exchanged further proposals in a number of areas, including shift limits in Dining Services, changes in regular schedules, recognition of progressive discipline and classification of workers in miscellaneous job classifications,” Peck added.

Although Kvitky agrees discussions are progressing, he said “we’re making progress on issues that are generally non-economic and are important for us to resolve, but are certainly not the most important issues.” Wages and benefits, which “are a critical concern at the moment” still leave both parties “very far apart.”

The University made its first wages and benefits proposal this past Sunday, and “the delaying in getting to this point has been very frustrating both for the negotiating team and our membership,” Kvitky said.

The union responded Tuesday to the first economic proposal, which holds to the University’s starting position, according to Peck’s statement. Little movement was made following that though.

As for where negotiations will head today, Kvitky said it “will largely depend on what management comes to the table with.” And as for resolution by tonight, “it’s always possible to reach an agreement, as long as negotiations continue.”

“We sent a very clear message to management,” Kvitky said.

If an agreement is not reached and the contract expires, workers will likely work for the time being. A work stoppage similar to the one last year by workers could ensue if union leaders feel like they need to flex their muscles to make progress at the bargaining table.