This Agreement entered into by the Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts, hereinafter referred to as the Employer, and University Staff Association/Massachusetts Teachers Association/National Education Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association, has as its purpose the promotion of harmonious relations between the Employer and the Association; the establishment of an equitable and peaceful procedure for the resolution of differences; and the establishment of wages, efficient and effective standards of productivity and performance, hours and other terms and conditions of employment, thus contributing to the continual development of an educational institution of highest quality - a public policy mandate, which binds the Association and the Employer.