Harvard, union talks may look different amid Trump cuts

State of play: Union representatives, who first met with Harvard on Tuesday, want wage increases, pensions and other benefits for Harvard janitors and security workers, said Kevin Brown, the union's executive vice president.

• Brown also said they want a grace period of up to one year for employees whose work permits get interrupted for immigration reasons.
• He said that would ensure that they will still have a job to return to if they resolve those issues.

Yes, but: The demands come as Harvard grapples with federal funding cuts and negotiations with the Trump administration, which has tried to block the Ivy League school from all federal funding opportunities.

• Harvard remains in a legal fight with the administration over frozen federal funding, even though a federal judge ruled that the freeze was illegal last month.

The other side: Jason Newton, a Harvard spokesperson, said the university "will approach these discussions with a commitment to good faith as we work to find agreement on a contract that is beneficial to all."

• He declined to comment on Harvard's goals in the contract negotiations.

The bottom line: Contract negotiations between colleges and unions representing campus employees may look different this year.