The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, July 18, 1979-Page 11 Ford, UAW kick off contract negotiations DETROIT (UPI) - Economically crucial auto industry contract talks began in a lighthearted mood yesterday at Ford Motor Co. in stark contrast with an angry bargaining session a day earlier at General Motors Corp. Without going into specifics, United Auto Workers (UAW) union officials gave Ford executives an outline of demands for wage increases, shorter hours and improved pension benefits. Sidney McKenna, Ford's chief negotiator, appealed for a settlement without a strike - echoing statements by top executives at GM, which analysts say may be picked as the union's strike target this fall. CONTRACTS FOR 750,000 U.S. auto workers expire Sept. 14. Economists have said a strike could aggravate a recession this year, while the size of the Attorneys LANSING (UPI) - The Michigan Supreme Court must allow citizens to vote on increased gas and license plate taxes in order to preserve the principles of democratic government, attorneys favoring the referendum told the high court yesterday. In oral arguments on the question, at- torney Donald Reisig called the right to referendum "a gun behind the deer ... the people's right to be heard." At issue is the legality of petitions calling for a popular vote on the in- creased gas tax and license plate fees, which went into effect this year. A GROUP calling itself People settlement could have considerable bearing on federal attempts to hold down wages and prices. Bargaining begins today at Chrysler Corp., the last of the Big Three auto firms involved in the talks. Both sides plan to offer specific proposals later. UNION OFFICIALS, grim-faced and dour at GM Monday as they accused the firm of interfering ina union election at a new Oklahoma City auto plant, were relaxed and jovial after a brief closed- door session with Ford's bargaining team. "I mentioned to Ford Motor Co. that this is my last go-round andI want to go out in a blaze of glory," said Ken Ban- non, the soon-to-retire head of the UAW's Ford department. "I also told them I wasn't going to plead for tax Against Higher Taxes gathered signatures to force a vote on the tax hikes, approved by the legislature last year. The two-cent hike in the gas tax and 30 per cent increase in license plate fees form the backbone of funding for the $162 million program. But those backing the increased fees, to be used to fund a statewide highway and mass transit program, claim the voters are not entitled to a referendum because bills raising the revenues also outlined how the additional funds would be spent. THE MICHIGAN Constitution prohibits public referenda on ap- bring down the house." UAW PRESIDENT Douglas Fraser, who has described as defunct President Carter's anti-inflation seven per cent wage guideline, said he has no inside knowledge as to whether new guidelines will be established before the auto talks end. "We don't establish guidelines. The president does," Fraser joked. "We're in charge of shooting them down." Fraser, who met with Carter in Detroit Monday, said the president wished him good luck in the contract talks. "I TAKE IT from that he wants me to do well," Fraser said. Fraser said GM officials flew to the Oklahoma site to ensure compliance with a neutrality agreement in the union organization drive on the eve of Thursday's union election. "I just wish they had done this earlier on," he said. ALTHOUGH THE UAW says it will not be swayed by the current big car sales slump- and economic downturn in fixing money demands, McKenna described those conditions as "a reality that we cannot ignore." "The last several sets of negotiations in the industry have been marked by strikes," said McKenna, who has par- ticipated in negotiations since 1961. "We intend to make every effort, both nationally and locally, to avoid such disruption, but our intentions alone cannot control the outcome." "If the issues are there, surely we would ask our workers to go out on strike," Bannon said. referendum in state court propriations bills. "This is not an attack on the diversion of traditional highway dollars on mass transportation," Reisig said. "The Department of Transportation will continue to function," he said. "IT JUST WILL not have those ad- ditional funds until the people, in 1980, have a chance to reject or accept." Lawyers for the other side said the Constitution clearly states that all highway revenues must be used for transportation programs. And that, they said, is an automatic ap- propriation and protects the gas and weight taxes from a vote of the people. "Regardless of how much revenue comes in from the gas and weight taxes, every dollar, every penny is spent for transportation purposes," said attorney Tom Downs, whose firm represented pre-highway groups fighting against a popular vote. HIS PARTNER, John Pirich, said that even though the legislation did not detail exactly how the new revenue was to be spent, the constitutional provision makes it an automatic appropriation and therefore not subject to a referen- dum. "If it appropriates, it doesn't matteF how little - it's exempt from referen- dum," Pinch said. STUDY SHOWS IT FAILED AS DETERRENT TO CRIME: Jackson prison cancels LANSING (UP!) - An inmate-run program at Jackson Prison aimed at scaring young offenders away from crime has been suspended. A study showed teen-age participants returned to crime more often than non- participants. A study by the Corrections Depar- tment said the program - similar to a New Jersey prison project portrayed in the television documentary "Scared Straight" - had no major effect on crime rates. IT ALSO showed the incidence of juvenile offenders who participated in the program being involved in sub- sequent crimes was slightly higher than that of offenders who did not par- ticipate. The Michigan program is called JOLT - an acronym for Juvenile Of- fenders Learn Truth - and was started in May 1978 by the Jaycees chapter at Jackson Prison. UNlike the New Jersey program, however, JOLT was only for male of- fenders. JUVENILE offenders between ages 13 and 17 were taken on 2%/-hour tours of the prison. Each was fingerprinted, searched and locked in a cell for several minutes before meeting with inmates who described prison life. The Corrections Commission, during a weekend meeting at Marquette, or- dered the program suspended for 60 JOL Tprogran days after hearing a report that said a study of 227 juvenile offenders "the JOLT program had no discernible ef- fect on those young people who par- ticipated in it." A department analyst said a com- parison of the 227 juveniles referred to JOLT in 1978 with a comparable group of offenders who were not referred to the program showed 20.3 per cent of those who went through the program committed at least one crime within the next three months compared with 18.9 per cent of the non-participants. A Corrections Department spokesman said the study does not con- clude the program actnally causes an increase in crime. However, one prison official said he feared that the program might inadvertantly have precisely that effect. "There's a mystique about prisons," said Charles Utess, director of resident programs at Jackson. "Maybe these kids, after they see this place, say, 'That ain't so bad.' It might be kind of a macho thing that makes them a big man. Tony Bercheny, one of 26 inmates who conducts the JOLT program, said he was "disappointed" in the findings. President's Cabinet offers resignations (continued from Pase i) assistants, including such White House in the next few days." luminaries as Powell and key Carter THE DEVELOPMENT was adviser HamiltonJordan. reminiscent of former President Richard Nixon's 1972 demand for stan- ALSO OFFERING to leave were a dby resignations from all his appoin- number of officials who normally meet tees,'including Cabinet members, after with the Cabinet, including United he won a landslide re-election victory. Nations Ambassador Andrew Young In the end, four Cabinet resignations and Middle East peace negotiator were accepted by Nixon. Robert Strauss. According to sources, Carter was James McIntyre, director of the Of- given the resignation offers Tuesday fice of Management and Budget, said morning during a two-hour Cabinet he, too, had offered to resign. "Yes, it's meeting and at a separate hour-long true,"hesaid. session with his senior White House The staff of Carter's wife, Rosalynn, staff, also submitted resignations, but Vice- The offers were submitted by ,all President Walter Mondale's staff did *-presidential .assistants .aid -special Wt;'. ARMY SURPLUS WOODS ALL LEVI'S - SIeen~g o 2 0 / f ferip-stpy co r -de Treg $4.398$ALE 9 DEXTER BANDANAS Hiking Boats All Colors reg $62.98 SALE"56" reg $1.29 SALE664 SALE ENDS WAT. JULY 21 Complete Uuckpmking mmd CumpIg Offtters 201 E. Washington 994-3572