The strike:
BAM answers the
t mrrgan s tg
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1970
NIGHT EDITOR: JIM BEATTIE
i
i
The mail strike:
Shutting down nationwide
THE POSTAL STRIKE is the response of
a group of vital, yet underpaid public
employes to the unresponsiveness of the
national government to their grievances.
It began understandably in New York,
where militant municipal employe union-
ism has brought vast pay increases in
the past decade to the bus drivers, sub-
way conductors, teachers, firemen, po-
licemen and sanitationmen on whom the
functioning of the city depends.
After twenty-o n e years of service, a
mailman's income equals approximately
that of a beginning New York sanita-
tionman or transit employe. After three
years of service, the New York 'sanita-
tionman and transit employe will earn
20 per cent more than the mailman can
ever expect to earn.
WHY IS THIS?' Clearly, it is the militant
unionism - the willingness to strike
- of these New York municipal employe
unions, which has brought them the de-
cent salaries they currently enjoy.
Is moral suasion then likely to convince
postmen that, in this society - where
a vast proportion of resources is poured
into private luxury consumption while
vital public needs remain unmet - that
their best bet is to lie low and rely on
Congressional generosity?
This is not to accuse Congress of stin-
giness. Our representatives can at times
be inspired to heights of generosity - as
when they raised their own salaries over
40 per cent last year, from $30,000 to $42,-
500, or when they voted to continue sub-
sidies to high-income farmers for leaving
fields idle. But it is people like the mail-
man, whose starting income is $6,176 per
year - and who can earn $8,442 annually
after 21 years of service - who are ex-
pected to pay the cost of inflation.
In addition to long overdue pay in-
creases, there are several measures which
Congress can and should enact in re-
sponse to the mailmen's complaints;
POSTMEN in different locales, with
drastically different c o s t s of living,
'should not be p a i d the same salaries.
Wages should be determined by the cost
of living in the area irl which postmen
live - adequate pay in the rural South
may be inadequate in the Northern me-
tropolis.
Postmen, like other public employes,
who give up their right to strike, cannot
be expected to bear any part of the bur-
den for rising prices. Thus, an "escala-
tor" clause, under which salaries would
vary with the Consumer Price Index in
their area, is essential.
Postmen should receive family allow-
ances for dependent children. Very ade-
quate pay' for a bachelor may be very in-
adequate for a man with children.
Public employes, by renouncing their
right to strike, must become entitled to
a higher d e g r e e of e.conomic security
than those who maintain that right.
A NATIONAL anti - inflation policy
which aimed at wage, price and profit
control at all levels and which restricted
the luxury consumption of high-income
groups would merit serious consideration.
But a policy which asks those of mod-
est means to bear the cost of inflation
and- then to abandon the only means
they have of combating it is completely
unworthy of respect.
-STEVE KOPPMAN
By DARRYL GORMAN
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The author is
a spokesman for the MIack Action
Movement.)
T IS TIME for black voices to
be raised against the actions of
the many who are driving t h e
University community into chaos.
T h e Black Action Movement
(BAM) challenges the University
community to give up its arrogant
acceptance of painless, marginal
change. Undoubtedly, there can-
not be major change in the Uni-
versity community unless you as
a member of this community are
affected by that change. The fun-
damental issues which BAM has
raised demand a fundamental
change in t h e relationship be-
tween white and black people.
In spite of the fact that the un-
equal relationship between black
and white people has been insti-
tutionalized, black people m u s t
have thetright todecide their own
future at the University. T r u e
enough, the rights of all people
will be affected by meeting the
BAM demands. Some people will
feelthat their rightshareabeing
infringed upon. Yet, the fact re-
mains that even by acceeding to
the BAM demands, the Univer-
sity community will not be suf-
ficiently relevant to the black ex-
perience.
ESSENTIALLY, in demanding
that the University re-assess its
priorities, BAKV is demanding
more thana re-assessment of fi-
nancial priorities. The current
University structure does not meet
the needs of the masses of black
people. T h i s particular Univer-
sity bears a singular responsibility
for the problems which confront
the black people in Michigan and
all over the country. It has built
its academic reputation on people
who are not willing to do more
than administer, research, study,
and theorize about the black ex-
perience. It has not educated peo-
ple who a re. willing to actively
confront the problems facing the
black community.
The 'U' faculty has been effec-
tively educating people who feel
that they have the ability to stand
back and critically analyze the
problems facing the community.
This is often apparent in the con-
flicts which take place on cam-
pus. The faculty personifies an at-
titude of critical observation --
even in the moral dilemmas which
face the campus.
Five hundred of them delib-
erately placed an untimely and
blanket condemnation of violence
in the Michigan Daily and the
Ann Arbor News. This can only
be seen as a deliberate attempt to
obscure the real issue. The Re-
gents have made an inadequate
response to the BAM demands and
the faculty, department heads and
deans (almost without exception)
have made no commitments from
the funds already to be commited
to their departments and colleges
for the next four or five years
from the General Fund Budget.
MR. FLEMING has said: "No
matter how high the priority giv-
en to black student program, there
are some other critical things
which are going to have to be
funded and a large amount of this
money must be found by re-ar-
ranging internal priorities. That,
in turn, takes place largely with-
in the colleges." Faculties, deans,
and department heads have lost
their right to act as moral arbi-
ters of the University community.
They a r e more concerned with
"business as usual." Essentially,
business as usual means that the
top priority in the budget request
was a $6.45 million increase (7
per cent) in faculty salaries. Next
was a request to meet an "infla-
tion factor which is running in
the neighborhood of six per cent
a year" according to Mr. Flem-
ing.
Like Mr. Fleming, I "cite these
matters simply to illustrate the
point which is essential" to the
decisions which will be. made in
financing black student pro-
grams.
Next, I will summarize the BAM
demands and the responses from
the Regents:
*BAM DEMANDED s e v e r a l
graduate recruiters and nine un-
dergraduate recruiters essential-
ly to cover the state of Michigan.
We said t h a t these recruiters
need not be professionals in their
field. But they should sit on the
admission committees in their
fields of concentration a n d be
able to ma/ke binding financial
commitments. Their primary in-
terest is to be recruiting. (It
should be pointed out that the
more substantial recruiting by
students was accomplished at the
insistence by black students for
financial support.)
The Regents allocated "at least"
$100,000 for recruiting, counsel-
ing, and other supportive services,
It must be pointed out that nine
undergraduate recruiters h a v e
been estimated to cost $135,000
and six graduate recruiters would
cost $120,000. making a total of
$255,000 for recruiters alone.
0 BAM DEMANDED ten per
cent black enrollment at the Uni-
versity by Fall, 1973. We also de-
manded nine hundred new black
students by Fall. 1971. The Re-
gents' response to demands for
the ten per cent black enrollment
by Fall, 1973, was to "establish
an admissions goal which is de-
signed to produce by 1973-74 ad-
missions aimed at 10 per cent en-
rollment of black students." Es-
sentially, this does mean that the
Regents are not committed to the
10 per cent black enrollment by
Fall, 1973. They are committed to
a goal as they are committed to
the goals of the "Affirmative Ac-
tion Programs" for the staff. They
did not respond to the demand for
Fall, 1971.
B BAM DEMANDED an ade-
quate supportive services program.
We supported the proposal of J.
Frank Yates of the Afro-Ameri-
can Studies Program. It called for
the following: preparation of a
teaching fellows' orientation man-
ual; preparation of a black stu-
dent orientation manual; a sum-
mer course(s) for seminar lead-
ers; orientation week for incom-
ing black freshmen; extended
teaching sections for basic cours-
es; seminars attached to basic
courses; training seminars for
teaching fellows in basic courses.
The $100,000 allocated for new
staff in admissions, financial aid
and supportive services could not
possibly cover this program.
* TUITION WAIVERS for mi-
nority group students who are
residents of the state of Michigan
who are admitted under special
programs. Although t h i s proce-
dure is entirely legal, the Regents
do not believe that this procedure
saves money. However they have
not demonstrated this.
* THE DEMAND for a referen-
dum on the March SGC ballot for
the right of students to vote on
assessing themselves $3.00 for the
MLK Scholarship Fund was pre-
dicated on the University collect-
ing the money if the referendum
passed. However, Mr. Fleming has
said that the money would not
be collected because he does not
believe in "compulsory" assess-
ments (even when the - new IM
Building would require a compul-
sory assessment of $15 per term
per student for the next thirty
years.)
*THE AFRO - AMERICAN
Studies Programs was begun pri-
marily on $30 000 taken from the
MLK Scholarship Fund. J. Frank
Yates proposed a cut-rate budget
for Fall, 1970, of $353,000. The
Regents voted to allocate $170.-
000 through the College of LSA
for the Afro-American Studies
Program. the Black Student Cen-
ter and funding of special seminar
support through the center and
the AAS program would cost
Legents
$378 000 alone if funded under the
demand.
0 B1 ACK STUDENTS demand-
ed to be referred ,to as black. This
does not cost any money. The Re-
genms responded by saying that
"deans, directors, and through
t h e m departmental chairmen,
have been advised, as have Uni-
versity publications offices, that
black students wish to be referred
to as black.
Mr. Spurr estimated that the
total program demanded by BAM
would mean a cohtribution of $8,-
022.400 for 3,415 students by Fall,
1973. The Regents only allocated
a contribution of $3.000.000 by
Fall. 1973. This is not "a very
substantial. bona fide response to ,
the BAM demands."
All black students who are en-
rolled to make up the ten per cent
need not be from the state of
Michigan. Ten per cent of the
twenty-five per centeUniversity
student body which is out-of-state
should be black. ;
I would alter Mr. Fleming's
statement by saying that unre-
sponsive promises will not serve
to get over immediate disagree-
ments, because they do not con-
tribute to long-run progress. Fi-
nancial priorities must be re-as-
sessed internally (departments,
colleges, offices, capital improve-
ments) with a continuing re-as-
sessment of allocation of "flexi-
ble funds" within t h e General
Fund Budget.
MORE IMPORTANTLY moral
and political priorities must be re- A
assessed internally. The concept
of Anglo-American traditions in
education which receives its chief
support from the faculty must be
broadened before the University
changes. Pet projects may have to
be sacrificed for the BAM de-
mands. Yet, to do otherwise runs a
the risk of permanent damage to
the already unstable relations be-
tween blacks and whites on cam-
pus.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Support for the strike mounts
To the Editor:
We, the undersigned students
and faculty of the anthropology
department, support the BAM
strike, and since the Regents have
not responded meaningfully to the
BAM demands, we have stopped
teaching and attending courses:
Election endorsements
for SGC and LSa governments
c
t
THE FOLLOWING endorsements were
explained in Sunday's Daily:
For SGC PRESIDENT AND
VICE PRESIDENT
Recommended: Marty Scott and Jerry
DeGriek.
Qualified: Joe Goldenson and Steve
Nissen.
Unacceptable: Bruce Wilson and Larry
Solomon.
FOR SGC MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Excellent: Darryl Gorman, Joan Martin.
Good: Henry Clay, William Thee,
Bruce Wilson.
Fair: Cynthia Stephens, Dale Oesterle,
Jay Hack, Fred Wogel.
Unacceptable: Jim Zimmerman, Al
Warrington, Rich Glenn, Tom Tichy, Kev-
in Lynn, Larry Solomon, Gary Dorman,
Tom Moher.
MARTIN A. HIRSCHMAN. Editor
STUART GANNES JUDY SARASOHN
Editorial Director Managing Editor
JIM' NEUBACHER .. .., ...... .News Editor
NADINE COHODAS ..............Feature Editor
ALEXA CANADY...............Editorial Page Editor
BRUCE LEVINE ...........Editorial Page Editor
R. A. PERRY .........................Arts Director
LAURIE HARRIS ...................Arts Page F4dtor
JUDY KAHN..........Personnel Director
DAN ZWERDLING..................Magazine Editor
JAY CASSIDY ....................... Photo Editor
NIGHT EDITORS: Rob Bier, Jim'Beattie, Dave Chud-
win, Stev Koppman, Robert Kraftowitz, Rick Per-
loff, Lynn Weiner,' Sharon Weiner.
For LSA STUDENT GOVERNMENT
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
Recommended: David Brand and Brian
Ford.
Qualified: Gerald Cole and Andrew
Hoffman.
Unacceptable: Bob Nelson and R a y
Littleton.
For LSA EXECUTIVE BOARD
Excellent: Gene Kallenburg
Good: Rebecca Schenk, Ray Karpinski,
Shelly Reisman, Gerald Cole.
Fair: Brian Sheridan, Jeff Tirengal,
Ron Schurin, Tom Moher, Gary Dorman.
Unacceptable: Ann Grover, Andy Weiss-
man, Ray Littleton, Ken Markowitz, Bob
Black, Richard Boss, Robert'Schwartz.
JN ADDITION, we recommend a yes vote
on all four parts of the housing re-
ferendum, supporting better preparations
for the coming fall and planning for low
cost single student housing. We also sup-
port a yes vote for a $3 per student assess-
ment for the Martin Luther King fund.
The question on the trimester is a matter
of personal preference - but the view
expressed by the students should be the
most important consideration in resolv-
ing this matter.
-THE SENIOR EDITORS
John Omohundro
David Wilson
Prof. W. Lockwood
Samuel Sandt
Tom Kuzma
Prof. M. Sahlins
Robert Meeropol
Rayna Reiter
Prof.R. Rappaport
Dale Brodkey
Michael Allen
Sari Tudiver
Barbara Luedtke
Ellen Wiegandt
Susan Burke
John Keller
Prof. J. Jorgenson
Prof. C. Kottak
Robert McKinley
Debby Silverstein
Gilbert Winer
Richard Blan ton
Martin Wobst
Prof. F. Nitzberg
Susan Harding
Betsy Bateman
David Rossman
John Fishel
Mike Bailis
SuzanneHarris
Ben Kroup
Susan Davis
Kit Cross
Kurt Osoinach
Joan Rieck
Barbara Shirk
John Speth
Lenmbit Speth
Janet Handy
Elinore Iversen
Terry Jezowski
Eliza Earle
Timothy Earle
Robert Drennan
John Neeker
John Walthal
Wilma Koschik
Prof. H. Wright
March 24
mands are consistent (though
milder) with this prior committ-
ment to equality by the 'U's'
School of Education. Those wish-
ing to add their expression of sup-
port for these committments are
urged to strike also.
Mary Jane Shoultz Larry Lippitt
C. F. Spinazola Jr. Rosalind Wares
James D. Nixon Jack Eisner
Moncrieff Cochran Joseph F. Price
Susan Allan March 24
Pilot program
To the Editor:
LAST NIGHT a majority of the
Pilot Program members held a
town meeting with the authoriza-
tion of the dorm's Representative
Assembly. At this meeting, after
the issue had been debated, the
students made a direct and per-
sonal commitment to support the
BAM demands by striking and by
aiding strike activities actively.
After this town meeting, Repre-
sentative Assembly, on the basis
of the program's concensus, al-
located funds of $575 to be given
to BAM, to be disposed of as their
directors see fit.
We feel it is imperative that the
Regents recognize this as a serious
expression of student support for
the BAM demands.
-The Pilot Program
March 24
ISR
To the Editor:
WE, THE undersigned employes
of the Institute for Social Re-
search support fully the twelve
demands of BAM and ask the Uni-
versity administration and Re-
gents to support their implemen-
tation.
Further, we urge the Policy
Committee to ISR to endorse for-
mally the implementation of these
same twelve demands.
Ed school
To the Editor:
DEAN COHEN and the entire
faculty of the University of Mich-
igan's School of Education voted
63-11 to support these demands of
the Education School's' B 1a c k
Caucus:
"We demand that in the under-
graduate (and graduate) p r o -
gram in the School of Educa-
tion, black students should con-
stitute at least TWENTY per-
cent of the student body. These
students must be enrolled full-
time." (Minutes of the Execu-
tive Committee, November 11,
1969).
Therefore, wishing to support
our Dean and his entire faculty,
we will not meet our classes until
the strike has been resolved to the
satisfaction of BAM whose de-
AND FURTHER, we oppose any
form of retaliation against those
who strike.
-SCart Katz
-Pat Graham
-David Statt
-Pat Williams
-Sally Brenner
-Stella Moyser
-Maurico Front
-Priscilla Cheever
and 220 others
Correction
To the Editor:
IN ITS ARTICLE on the pro-
ceedings of the SACUA meeting of
March 23, t h e Michigan Daily
chose to report incidental remarks
that I made at the meeting rather
than focus on the major point
that I repeatedly and emphatical-
lystated.,
I stated that President Fleming
should publicly acknowledge that
the University has not met the
BAM demands and that the Re-
gents' resolution does not repre-
sent a "very substantial and bon-
afide response" to these demands.
I ALSO explicitly stated that
theaUniversity shouldrdirectly
contact the BAM leadership for
the purpose of reopening nego-
tiations on the demands, point by
point.
-Gloria A. Marshall
Member, Associationof
Black Faculty and Staff of
The University of Michigan
March 24
Social Work
To the Editor:
THE BLACK MEMBERS of the
faculty of the University of Mich-
igan School of Social Work issue
t h.i s statement to express their
support of Black Action Move-
ment's (BAM) efforts to obtain
a firm commitment from the Uni-
versity of Michigan to increase
the numbers of b 1 a c k students
and faculty.
Itlis our considered opinion that
the University of Michigan must
take whatever steps are necessary
to increase the number of black
students to equal at least ten per
cent of the total student body by
no later than the 1973-74 aca-
demic year. It is equally impor-
tant that the number of black
faculty similarly be increased
within this time period.
Because many of the black stu-
dents entering the University suf-
fer from inferior educational ex-
periences, we believe that it is es-
sential for the University to
launch a comprehensive program
of academic supportive services
for these students. They must be
given assistance and opportunities
to succeed according to their abil-
ities. To increase the enrollment
ities. A pledge must be made to
guarantee adequate funding for a
group of black students to num-
ber no less than ten per cent of
the total student body by 1973-74.
We believe t h a t 'an essential
component in any program to re-
cruit a n d better educate black
students is the establishment of a
Black Studies Center. Such a cen-
ter should serve to promote un-
derstanding of black Americans
for the total University commun-
ity.
An organizing committee repre-
senting black students and fac-
ulty, the University administra-
tion and other interested groups
should bd appointed immediately
to move this project ahead.
FURTHER, we believe that it is
imperative that a multi-party
"monitoring board" be established
to review and report to the Uni-
versity community on the imple-
mentation of this total program.
Such a board should include rep-
resentation from students, faculty.
administratorsand the Regents of
the University.
We recognize t h a t the above
recommendations will require a
significant shift in the Univer-
sity's priorities and resources. We
believe that such action is essen-
tial. We implore the University to
spell out how it plans to opera-
tionalize these recommendations.-
-Professors:
Howard Brabson
Beryl L. Carter
Richard A. English
Madison Foster, II
Lawrence E. Gary
Oliver C. Harris
Harold Johnson
Christine Neal
March 24
Med
To the Editor:
WE THE BLACK Medical As-
sociation (BMA) as an integral
part of the Black. Action Move-
ment (BAM) feel prompt imple-
mentation of the 12 point pro-
gram of BAM is necessary and
proper.
With reference to point one, the
Regents set a goal of 10 per cent
black enrollment by fall of 1973.
We feel that there must be a spe-
cefic commitment of at least 10
per cent black enrollment by Fall
'73. There is a definite' difference
between a goal and a commitment.
Commitment in this case means
an adequate allocation of funds,
where as goals indicate platitudes
and lip service,
We are first, black, second, in
the health professions, and third-
ly we wish to increase the pool of
perspective applicants sensitive to
the needs of the black commun-
ity.
Art History Dept.
To the Editor:
COPIES OF the following letter
have been sent to President Flem-
ing and the Regents:
We have had an opportunity to
review and discuss the events of
the past few days and agree that
the program of the Black Action
Movement is fair and reasonable.
Some, of us support the strike,
some of us do not. We have seen
many of our students endorse the
program without at the same time
being able to participate in the
strike; they have indicated their
endorsement verbally and through
ad hoc petitions.
It would be tragic if the mes-
sage, of the non-violent strike and
of the widespread campus senti-
ment of non-strikers in favor of
the BAM demands were at this
stage ignored. We hope that no
attempt will be made to gauge the
necessity of implementing the pro-
gram upon the basis of a reading
of the effectiveness of the strike
alone. We urge the University's
acceptance of the BAM platform
in its entirety.
THE INCREASED admissions of
black students at all levels of the
University should take highest
place in our considerations. If this
requires extraordinary{ financial
support and a reorientation of
philosophical and budgetary prior-
ities, then this must be done in
good faith and'with full commit-
ment.
The University at present does
not adequately fulfill its role of
public university, serving all the
people of the State of Michigan.
The dedication to meeting the
black demands should be inter-
preted as the beginning of a more
true university, committed to serv-
ing the legitimate aspirations of
minorities and majorities through-
out the state.
We view the response of the ad-
ministration and the Regents to
the BAM platform as inadequate,
deficient both in detail and as a
demonstration of commitment to a
major social and-educational goal.
For example, the Regents aim at
10 per cent ,admisisons for 1973-
74 but offer no specific agreement
to an initial 1971-72 total of 900
new black students, a number
which constitutes an essential first
step if the 10 per cent goal is to
seriously regarded and Regental
good faith established
THE REGENTS are unable to
pl-d e themselves to adequate
funding, yet adequate funding is
essential if the goal is to be met.
This will require a reordering of
priorities on a University-w i d e
scale. We are committed, there-
forA. to making such adjustments
within our Department, but these
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