THE MICHIGAN DAILY °' Pdge'"Tb ree 1 ThE MICHIGAN DAILY i'oge~Three' 'U' drops ball on Barbour/Waterman Doily Photo by ALAN BILINSKY t Barbour/Waterman .. . The never-ending fight: GEO v. the University By SUE WARNERc Wrecking crews arrived on campus this summer, putting an end to the Barbour/Waterman gyms - University landmarks since 1894 - and the controver- sy which had surrounded their demise. For nearly a year, University. administrators and various cam- pus and community groups bat- tled over whether or not to raze the aged buildings. The admin- istration argued the cost of re- novating the gyms, which were in need of considerable repair, would be economically unfeas- ible. Instead, it favored demoli- tion of the buildings to make room for an addition to the' Chemistry Building, although funds for construction are notI available yet.l GROUPS OPPOSED to the de- molition contended the build- ings wereofahistorical and archi- tectural value and should be preserved. The saga of Barbour/Water-1 man began in March 1976 when the Regents approved a Univer- sity recommendation, that the gyms. be torn down. They agreed, however, to reconsider{ their decision pending the re- sults of another study on the to- pic compiled by William Sturgis, an assistant to former Vice Pre- sident and Chief Financial Offi- cer Wilbur Pierpont. Sturgis presented his report to the Regents at their December meeting and he, too, concluded I razing the buildings would be in the University's best interest. BUT BY THIS time, groups favoring preservation of the 82- year-old structures were organ- izing in an effort to save the old gyms. They began circulating petitions demanding the Regents alter their decision and held in- formal meetings with University alumni in hopes of gaining addi- tional support. December also mark the gyms' closing. University offi- cials said the buildings were also worked to preserve the closed because of the high cost gyms, went before the Regents to heat, light, and clean them- with a proposal for converting more than $200,000 per year. Barbour/Waterman into a stu- Economics professor William dent activities center. MSA pre- Shepherd, active in the move- sident Scott Kellman and Vice ment to save the gyms, said the President Steve Carnevale com- University was "smart" by clos- piained space reserved for stu- ing the gyms down. "This keeps dent use in the Student Activi- it out of sight, out of mind," he ties Building (SAB) and the Mi- stated. "They're trying to sneak chigan Union had gradually been this by." taken over to fill University Groups in favor of preserving space needs. the gyms attempted to have the Funding for the MSA proposal buildings, along with the rest of was to have been provided by a Central Campus, listed in the required $5 assessment per stu- National Historic Register, and dent per term to finance the thus protected from destruction gyms' renovation. Yearly oper-_ under the National Historic Pre- ating costs would have been servation Act. met, for the most part, by the MICHAEL WASHO, deputy di- University Cellar, which has rector of the Michigan History been looking for larger and Division of the Department of more centrally located accom- F >>: State, addressed the Regents at modations. their January meeting, asking The idea of developing Bar- that the University conduct a bour/Waterman into a student Y°¢ "feasibility study in keeping center was attractive to many, with the University's priorities." including Shepherd, who felt the Su'> He stated his office would work site was ideal for a new center to have the study done, "even if because of a recent shift in the the University doesn't want such. location of student activity from an honor." the eastern edge of campus to The University refused to con- the Hill Area and North Cam- duct the study and also declined pus. to do a similar study for a See 'U', Page 7 smaller campus group.__ "We should not seek out uses; (the buildings) should fit a need SASS . SAS we know about," Sturgis said. MEMBERS OF the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA), which Daily Photo by CHRISTINA SCHNEIDER 1894-1977 By KEN PARSIGIAN When is any employe. not an employe?AWhen he or she is a student. At least that's what the University is trying to prove in its battle with the Graduate Employes'Organization (GEO), the union which represents some 1900 graduate student teaching and research assistants at the University,. The administration contends that teaching assistants (TAs) are students, notemployes, alg though they do. teach a large percentage of undergraduate classes The basis for the Uni- versity's argument is that only students can be hired as TAs and that whether or not they are good teachers has almost no bearing on students' chances of getting such a "job." In fact, the only criterion on which a prospective TA is judged is his or her status as a student. For this reason, the administration considers TA-ships a form of fi- nancial aid, a way to help grad- uate students meet sharply ris ing education costs. GEO, ON the other hand, be lieves its members are employ- es. "If we teach classes, if we have a specified number of work hours, if we are paid for our ef- forts, then we are employes,' said former GEO President Doug Moran. "The fact that we are also students does not pre cude our status as employes, he added. These are the arguments the Michigan Employment Rela tions Commission (MERC) .i.J currently weighing, but even a preliminary. decision is not ex pected before September or Oc tober, and in the interim both sides will remain in the holding pattern which began on Nov. 1 of last year. THE CONTRACT seemed tc be on the verge of settlement that evening nine months ago GEO, having failed dismally in its attempt to rally the member ship for a strike, had capitulate on most of its demands, and the two sides were apparently in to- tal agreement. In fact, GEO bargainers were prepared to initial the contract when Chief University Bargain- er John Forsyth indicated that there was still one unresolved issue. GEO still had two griev- ances pending on the first arti- cle of the old contract, which determines who is covered by the agreement. Since both sides had agreed to use the same wording in the new contract, the University insisted that GEO drop the two grievance suits be- fore the new settlement was signed. "'You don't enter an agree- ment with a grievance outs tand- ing," explained University Coun- sel William Lemmer. FORSYTH WAS just as ada- mant. "If they don't like the s way the clause is worded we can go back to the table and write it so that we all under- stand who is and who isn't cov- - efed by the contract," he said, - "but there's no way we can sign a contract containing lan- - guage that is currently being " grieved." GEO refused to drop the griev- ances, and explained it wished to sign the contract and settle - the grievances later. When the administration refused, GEO ac- t cused the University of "delay- ing the signing of an agreement - for a non-mandatory bargaining issue." The union said the griev- anpes could be settled later by an arbitrator, and that unless - the ladministration agreed to s sign the contract, GEO would a file an unfair labor practice - (ULP) claim with MERC charg- - ing the University with stalling. h "If that's the way you want it g we'll see you at MERC," For- 8 syth said, closing hi's books and leaving the room. o Following that meeting, then t GEO President Moran blasted . the University's "union busting ni tactics", and confirmed the un- - ion would indeed file the ULP. d ,Forsyth indicated that 'if the ULP was filed, the University would use the opportunity to challenge TAs' status as employ- es; but union leaders were un- swayed and went ahead with their plans. A MERC hearing on the ULP charge was originally scheduled for Feb. 2, but moments before it was to begin, GEO presented a settlement proposal to the Uni- verity, and both sides agreed to postpone the hearing until the administration had a chance to read and respond to the last See THE NEVER, Page 7' The Advertisement for U-CELLAR on Page B, Section 2 Lists Tuesday, Sect. 6, business hours as 9-6. The store will remain open until 9 p.m. Sept. 6 It $5- #SSS BASS SASS 8145s IS EEREt Q. #1D 'O S 0 0 1 . 1 I1 N' h IREk'> 1w N 19 '4 cc3 ,TST 9 0* HOT PIZZA & SUBS delivered FREE SUPER FAST AY WHERE ON CAMPUS, OUR SHOES HAVE BEEN RUNNING AROUND COLLEGE CAMPUSESFOR GENERATIONS, SO WE KNOW WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. What's new ... what's . PHONEI NOW WITH 5 HOT TELEPHONE LINES! VI to~ MR. TONY'S PIZZA is a hot, tasty adventure in eating enjoyment! Up to 11 extra ingredients available! Sizes: 9"12" 114': 1 in... .What suits ifestyle. And nov * put it all together i convenient camp vy