The Michigan Daily-Friday, September 7, 1979-Page 1 B
E
Sirn
t 1
PART B
Sycor Inc. to layoff
600 workers
By MICHAEL ARKUSH
Sycor Inc., the city's largest private
corporation, will layoff 600 workers in*
the next six months, company
spokesmen announced Tuesday.
The major shake-up has been
rumored for several months but this
week's announcement assures that the
company will undergo numerous
changes. The corporation will be con-
verted from a manufacturing plant to a
"prototype production facility " in
which research, field service, and data
center functions will remain intact.
SINCE THE realignment will
eliminate so many jobs, the Michigan
Employment Security Commission and
a new committee formed by State
Representative Perry Bullard (D-Ann
Arbor) will look for new jobs for the
displaced employees.
Sycor Inc., a computer corporation
with 1,400 employees, is part of the
Minneapolis-based Northern Telecom
Systems Corp. (NTSC) that initiated
the overhaul. Company officials said
yesterday an effort will start im-
mediately to determine whether there
are other jobs for employees who want
to move within the company.
But it is more likely that most of the
displaced employees will have to find
jobs elsewhere.
An aide to Representative Bullard
said the new group-the Sycor Crisis
Committee-will consist of members of
the state's commerce, labor and social
services departments plus various local
political officials.
"THE MAIN OBJECTIVE is to soften
the blow caused by this major lay off.
There wasn't a thing the state could do
about it but at least we can help find
jobs for these workers," said Dan
Sharp, Bullard's aide.
Sharp confirmed that the state had
attempted to block the corporation's
plan but that its officials firmly resisted
any pressure from Governor William
Milliken who met personally with of-
ficials there.
"There's something in their company
policy which forbids them from making
any deals with the state so I doubt that
the state offered them anything to stay
here and not reduce the amount of em-
ployees," said Sharp.
ONE MAJOR concern produced by
Tuesday's announcement is how the lay
offs will affect the city's economy. The
executive director of the Ann, Arbor
Chamber of Commerce, Jim Frenza,
said he believes the economy will not be
severely.damaged by the layoffs.
THREE-YEAR COURT BATTLE OVER:
Judge approves Black
By ADRIENNE LYONS member John Powell said the program
A U.S. District Court judge has ap- will not result in any additional expen-
proved an educational plan for teachers ses or cutbacks for the school system.
at the Martin Luther King Elementary "The resources, in terms of personnel,
School to help them recognize Black are already there," he said, adding that
English dialect as a learning barrier to monies to be provided for the teachers
some children; and to help the teachers to take the course will come from
in instructing speakers of Black present school funds.
English. Under the plan, the the staff of. the
The Ann Arbor Board of Education King Elementary School and the Ann,
presented the plan in response to orders Arbor Education Association will
from Judge Charles Joiner. Joiner or- receive at least 20 hours of formal in-
dered the school system to devise such struction which will begin in October
a plan in his ruling in favor of 11 black and end February 15, 1980. The reinfor-
school children in the celebrated Black cement phase of the plan consists of "a
English case this past summer. series of three or four one-hour follow-
The plan was approved August 24 and up seminars" beginning in February
will go into effect at the King school and ending at the close of the school
immediately. year.
THE PLAN presented is in essence a IN ADDITJON, the school system
two-pronged technique aimed first at planned to hire a language arts con-
instructing the teachers in the sultant and will incorporate the
problems of some black children, and, Houghton-Mifflin Reading Program in
secondly, in helping those children who ' its curriculum.
speak Black English overcome that Although some of the plan's critics'
dialect to learn standard, written have complained because the one-year
English. plan is too short and will only be im-
Although the plan will cost ap- plemented at one school, Powell said he
proximately $42,000, school board favors a plan to expand the project if it
WCCAA appeal pending;
'U' brief due Sept. 1.7
English
succeeds.
Joiner announced his decis
12, concluding a much-pu
lawsuit filed in 1977 by the pare
King school students. Attorney
families charged that the Anr
school system failed to recog
children's black dialect, labeli
instead as emotionally or1
disabled.
ALTHOUGH JOINER'S ru
been called a landmark decis
Arbor School Superintenden
Howard said he was not sure ho
of an impact the plan, which.
from the decision, would h
education. "Anything you do
teacher education will help the
teaching plan
Howard said. "We'll know when we
ion July evaluate (the plan), not before."
blicized Judge Joiner approved the plan
ents of 11 August 24 after adding a provision
s for the calling for a "way to evaluate student
in Arbor progress in reading" upon completion
gnize the of the program.
ing them Howard expressed concerns about
learning the judge's addendum. Although the
method of evaluating student progress
ling has is still undetermined, Howard ex-
ion, Ann plained that it would be difficult to ac-
t Harry count for any child's improvement
ow much based on the program. For example, he
resulted said, "Standardized tests were made to
have on be administered to a large group" and
to help their effectiveness would diminish if
t
"It affects the workers a lot but there
are still so many other workers in Ann
Arbor so that the overall impact will be
minimal," said Frenza.
MESC will have representatives at
the plant soon so that there will be plen-
ty of time to find new jobs for the
outgoing employees, according to
Sharp.
THAT TASK, however, will be fur-
ther complicated because it is not yet
known which employees will be ousted.
James Hughes, district office staff
representative for the United Steel
Workers-the union representing many
of the employees-said that question
must be answered during talks later
this month with company officials.
It is already known, however, that the
600 jobs will come from the manufac-
turing plant workers and not from the
white collar 'positions, company
spokesmen said. There are' 700 em-
ployees in each of the two positions.
"WE'LL JUST BE getting rid of the
workers related to manufacturing and
not the ones in other parts of the plant,"
said Gerald Hendin, Northern Telecom
spokesman.
Sycor Inc. is a subsidiary of Northern
Telecom of Montreal, the second
largest telecommunications firm in
North America.
NTSC President Leonard Mackenzie
had revealed the first news of the layof-
fs in July. Some company officials said
at that time the number of layoffs could
reach 1000.
BUT HENDIN denied that any more
reductions would come soon, adding,
that was only speculation from some
company executives.'
The inability of the state to prevent'
Sycor from proceeding with the layoffs
demonstrates the necessity for the state
to have a greater role in such situations
in the future, Sharp said.
He said the company's announ--
cement, released unofficially in July,
was a shock to many of the company's
employees and that it was completely
unfair to them.
"HERE THESE people are working
and then all of a sudden hear that many
of them are going to be out of work.
That is not the way businesses can be
allowed to operate," he said.
Sharp said Bullard has been working
td get legislation pass.ed in Lansing that
would force private corporations to
comply with various state guidelines in
dealing with their employees.
Proposed guidelines would force
company executives to notify em-
ployees of any upcoming layoffs, or
moves out of a city, at least two years
before they take effect.
"This would make it so much easier
for the employee to plan his future
withina reasonable time," Sharp said.
join the
Daily Edit
Staff
e child,"'
See JUDGE, Page 7
25Q
OA4
DUR'
i
It's
Our 25th Anniversary so Come
By JULIE ENGEBRECHT
A University attorney has until Sept.
17 to file a written argument in respon-
se to an appeal brief presented by
lawyers for a group advocating Univer-
sity divestment from companies which
do business in South Africa.
Last April, a Washtenaw County Cir-
cuit Court judge ruled in favor of a
University request to permit the Board
of Regents to move its meeting away
from protesters when a-breach of peace
occurs.
THE GROUP of protesters-most of
whom represent the Washtenaw County
Coalition Against Apartheid. (WCCAA)
-appealed the case.
Attorneys for the WCCAA filed their
written arguements with the state
Court of Appeals Aug. 6.
After Peter Davisr an attorney hired
by the University to handle the case,
files his brief, the record of lowver court
proceedings will be ordered, and oral
arguments before three court judges
may be requested.
A SPOKESPERSON for the state
Court of Appeals estimated it would be
"well into the fall" before the case is
-heard.
Davis said Wednesday he would not
submit his brief until the last possible
date, Sept. 17.
The WCCAA filed its appeal last
April, asking that the local decision,
which allowed the Regents to move
their meeting to an undisclosed location
after a breach of the peace, be
overruled.
THE WCCAA LED a disruption of the
Regents meeting last March while
demanding that the University divest
its stock in companies which do
business in South Africa. The group is
protesting that country's apartheid
policy.
To avoid further disruption, the
Board obtained a court order allowing
it to move the meeting behind locked
doors, permitting only members of the
press and selected individuals to at-
tend.
A 27-page brief filed by WCCAA
lawyers Thomas O'Brien and Michael
Moran, argues that the 1977 state Open
Meetings Act does not allow thefBoard
to move its meetings in the face of
protest.
Celebrate on September 16, 1979 for
the Return of the 25 Hamburger!
ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1979, BURGER KING IS
CELEBRATING
THEIR
25TH
ANNIVERSARY!
COME JOIN US BECAUSE WE WILL. BE SELLING
THE BEST DARN BURGER FOR 25ยข! ALSO COME
IN
AND
ENTER OUR SILVER ANNIVERSARY
SWEEPSTAKES.
EVERY
DAY
YOU
HAVE
A
CHANCE TO WIN FIVE SILVER DOLLARS, ONE
WINNER PER DAY FROM AUGUST
27,
1979-
See WCCAA, Page 8
SEPTEMBER 13, 1979. OUR GRAND PRIZE, A
SILVER TEN SPEED BIKE, WILL BE DRAWN ON
SEPTEMBER 14, 1979, FROM ALL ENTRIES, IN EACH
PARTICIPATING RESTAURANT. SO PLEASE COME
CELEBRATE WITH US AND BRING THIS TWO FOR
ONE SPECIAL WITH YOU TOO!
Buy one WHOPPER sandwich,
* get another WHOPPER free.
Please present this coupon before
' ordering. Limit one coupon per customer.RI\fl D U