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