The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, June 27, 1979-Page 3
Negotiations indicate
city employee strike
By PATRICIA HAGEN
Negotiators for Ann Arbor and for the
union representing city workers have
predicted that a strike affecting most
city services, except police and fire
protection, will begin Saturday at mid-
night.
Ann Arbor refuse, water, and sewage
workers and some city hall office staff
will vote tonight on a possible walk-out
at a union membership meeting. The
305 city workers are represented by the
American Federation of State County
and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
Local 369.
THE CURRENT three-year contract
expires June 30. Union members will
decide tonight what action they will
take if a new contract is not approved
by Saturday.
"I expect there to be a strike on
Saturday at midnight," Local 369
President Roger Knight stated
-Mai dservice wally rhoUb U 'tK
Holiday Inn Maid Kathy Rayburn participated in the cart relay race yesterday
as part of Hospitality Week. The event, sponsored by the Ann Arbor Conference
and Visitor's Bureau for employees of area hotels, will continue throughout this
week, and will feature a flea market today, a food fair tomorrow, and a banquet
Friday night.
Linguist: Black English users should be
following a meeting yesterday after-
noon with a state mediator and city
negotiators.
The contract offered by the city does
not include "a single thing" requested
by the union, Knight added.
"THERE'S A good chance there will
be a strike," chief negotiator for the
city, Melvin Muskovitz, said after the
meeting. "Right now, we're quite a bit
apart."
"The offer the city has made is not
necessarily the last offer," he added.
If the city workers do strike, "The
city would try to continue operating as
best it could," Muskovitz said.
NEGOTIATIONS ARE scheduled to
resume tomorrow and to continue
through Friday and Saturday, if
necessary.
The city contract package includes a
five per cent increase each year for the
next three years. The union asked for a
25 per cent increase in a one-year con-
tract, but was willing to consider a two-
year contract, if a cost of living
provision is included, according to
Muskovitz.
"I don't see any possibility (of
avoiding a strike),, Knight said after
reviewing the city's offer. "I don't see
enough being changed to avert a
strike."
"THEY COULD have dropped this
package on us the first day," Knight
stated. "We've wasted two months."
The union is requesting financial
parity with police and fire fighters.
"We have something owed us this time
around, at least a little consideration,"
Knight said before the meeting yester-
day afternoon.
"We feel this is our catch-up year,"
Knight explained. He alleged that the
union has been used in past years to
help the city in budget difficulties.
MUSKOVITZ NOTED a basic
disagreement in the city and union
views of the issues. The city asserts
that union workers are paid fairly well
See CITY, Page II
taught language as foreign
DETROIT (AP) - Children who English a dialect. "Standard English
speak black English should be taught should be taught as a foreign
standard English as though they were languag Some characteristics of black
learning a foreign language, a English, he said, are lack of subject-
linguistics expert testified yesterday in verb agreement, dropping final con-
William Labov of the University of sonants and adding an "s" on plural
Willam abovof he nivesit of nouns.
Pennsylvania testified on behalf of 11 One example of black English would
Ann Arbor elementary school children be the expression "she been married."
whose parents claim were denied rights A speaker of standard English would
to an equal education because they believe that the woman is no longer
speak a black variant of standard married. However, the speaker of black
English. English would interpret it as meaning
Attorney Gabe Kaimowitz, who that the woman is still married and has
represents the children's parents, wan- been for a long time.
is black English to be recognized as a bE LINGUIST said
separate language so that the children THE LINGUIST said that black
can receive bilingual instruction. The English probably developed as blacks
Ann Arbor school board maintains that of Creole origins moved from the
An sro solboar maintass iny th Caribbean to this country. The same
such instruction is unnecessary. black dialect is spoken through the
"TEACHERS must approach United States, Labov said.
teaching standard English with the Labov, 52, reiterated conclusions
recognition of the differences of black drawn in a book he wrote with three
English," said Labov, who called black other researchers. The information was
tongue
gathered ina three-year study of blacks
and Puerto Ricans in the Harlem sec-
tion of Manhattan in New York.
The linguistics expert said the
researchers concluded that the dif-
ference between black and standard
English was important in the way it in-
fluenced a teacher's relationship with
the children.
TEACHERS DO not, use their
knowledge of the language difference to
teach reading differently, he testified.
"Teachers are influenced by the notion
that all children are equal, and
systematic differences are not
recognized."
Labov, who holds master's and doc-
toral degrees in linguistics from
Columbia University, also condemned
a hearing test commonly used in public
elementary schools. The test, in which
children identify similar-sounding wor-
ds like "pin" and "pen," is biased, he
said, because it does not recognize the
black dialect.
tod -
Lunchtime serenadeY
Summer and songbirds can sing to their heart's
content Monday thru Thursday during University
Prof. Thomas Hilbish's summer chorus. Everyone
and anyone is welcome to join the group which
meets from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the School of
Music.
High in the sky
The Goodyear blimp soon will have two new com-
petitors from the Anheuser-Busch breweries. In-
flated with hot air instead of helium, the 175-foor
Budweiser and Busch beer airships will appear at
major sporting and civic events throughout the
country. Anheuser-Busch had no difficulty deciding
what to name its latest advertising gim-
mick-together, the balloons will be known as "The
Good Beer Blimps."
Runnin'on empty
If you're planning to steal from a sporting goods
store, you'd best be in shape. That was the lesson
Mark Reese, 31, of Shaker Heights, Ohio learned
when he allegedly dashed out of the Hermes Track
and Raquet Shop without paying for a $15.98 gym
bag. The shop's co-owner, Gary Easter, who
regularly runs 10 miles a day, took off after the ap-
parent shoplifter. After running several blocks
Reese tossed the merchandise aside, panting "You
can have your old bag." Easter, however, wasn't
about to give up and the two ran for about a mile un-
til Reese finally collapsed. Easter when walked the
breathless shoplifter to the police station where
Reese was charged with petty larceny.
Happenings ...
... summer half term classes begin so start the
day by going to class ... then at noon stop by 2549
LSA Building and hear Ann Arbor attorney Jean
King speak on "Legislation Affecting
Women" ... the Students' International Meditation
Society will present an introductory orogram,
"Transcendental Meditation and TM Sidhi
Programs," at noon and again at 8 p.m. in Room
4315 in the Michigan Union ... turn the radio on at 6
p.m. to 88.3 FM and listen to WCBN's broadcast in
which University doctoral student Janice O'Neal
and University Political Science Prof. David Singer
will debate "The Denial of Tenure to Joel
Samoff" ... those interested in organizing local ac-
tivity in defense of the Nicaraguan people in their
struggle against Anastacio Somoza are invoted to
attend a meeting at 8 p.m. in Conference Room 1 in
the Michigan Union ... two musicians from the
School of Music will give recitals at 8 p.m. Brady
Johnson will present a student organ recital at Hill
auditorium and Larry Weed will give a trombone
recital at the School of Music Recital Hall ... it's
hoot night at the Ark, 1431 Hill, and there is an open
mike at 9 p.m.... FILMS: Ann Arbor Film Co-
op-The Graduate, 7 p.m. and California Split, 9
p.m. both' at Aud. A, Angell Hall.
On the outside
Sunbathers will have to find something else to do
today. Although temperatures will peak at 80', the
sun will be hidden under partly cloudy skies and
there's a slight chance of thunder showers later in
the day,
,