The Michigan Daily
Vol. LXXXVII, No-41-S Ann Arbor, Michigan-Tuesday, July 12, 1977 Ten Cents Twelve Pages
Strike halts city bus service
By SUE WARNER
Ann Arbor Transit Authority (AATA) bus
service came to a halt yesterday morning
as 215 members of the Transportation
Employes Union (TEU) failed to report to
work after contract negotiations broke
down Sunday evening.
The city bus workers voted overwhelm-
ingly to stage the work stoppage after a
ten-day extension of their present two-
year contract expired Sunday at midnight.
ACCORDING TO AATA statistics, an es-
timated 8,000 commuters use the bus ser-
vice daily in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and
rural areas of Washtenaw County.
AATA Was unable to provide any road
service yesterday and according to Colleen
McGee, AATA spokesperson, there will
"probably" be no service today either.
Although McGee said bus service would
depend on "driver availability" - the
number of drivers who cross the picket
line - AATA's first priority this week will
be to restore special services for the han-
dicapped. She added that modified line
service may be possible by the end of the
week.
SUPERVISORS kept one bus operating
yesterday to serve handicapped residents
in need of emergency transportation.
Management and union negotiators are
scheduled to begin bargaining again tomor-
row with the aid of a state-appointed me-
diator.
Picket lines were set up yesterday in
front of the AATA's administrative offices
on Carpenter Road, at the intersection of
Fourth and William streets in Ann Arbor
and at one bus transfer point in Ypsilanti.
Approximately 75 picketers showed up
for a rally yesterday morning at the
AATA's administrative offices and between
five and ten strikers walked the picket
line at Fourth and William yesterday,
combatting intermittent sprinkles.
"THERE'S BEEN an overwhelming show
of support on the part of the membership,"
said Beatrice (Tasha) Berry, TEU Vice-
President. "Our turnout (picketing) has
been excellent."
Many morning commuters were sur-
prised to find the bus lines out of opera-
tion and were forced to take cabs or find
other means of getting to work. However,
according to Berry, most regular bus com-
muters were prepared for the walkout by
ution leaflets explaining the negotiation
and suggesting passengers devise an alter-
native transportation plan for yesterday
morning. The leaflets were distributed late
last week.
The union had urged AATA bargainers
to extend the present contract utp to 30
days, but management felt the 10-day ex-
tension should have been sufficient.
STEVE McCARGER, union bargaining
team member, stated yesterday: "We feel
the issues at the table have to be address-
ed in a more thorough manner and there
just wasn't enough time for that."
In a prepared statement, TEU mem-
bers blasted AATA officials for leaving
town on vacation during the negotiations.
Two of the six AATA board members are
presently out of town, and AATA's chief
negotiator left the city for seven days dur-
ing the recent contract extension. A sev-
enth seat on the board is vacant pending
Citv Council appointment.
TEU leaders contend the absence of
board members may stall efforts to end
the strike. "Essentially it creates a situa-
tion that restricts the natural bargaining
process," McCarger said.
HOWEVER, according to Nancy Crumb,
Administrative Assistant to Karl Guenther,
See AATA, Page 10
Transportation Employees Union (TEU) strikers pound the pavement at
Fourth and Liberty in protest of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's
(AATA) latest contract offer.
Court halts Kent State gym
KENT, Ohio (t') - A county
judge yesterday ordered dem-
onstrators evicted - and uni-
versity construction plans de-
layed temporarily - at a site
near the spot where four Kent
State University students were
shot to death seven years ago
by National Guardmen.
The ruling, if observed, would
take the dispute from the hill-
top from which the guardsmen
fired and would leave its reso-
lution in a more orderly set-
ting -a court of law.
T H E DEMONSTRATORS
have been occupying the site
for 61 days in attempts to pre-
vent the university from build-
ing a gymnasium annex.
The university went to court
yesterday in attempts to get
the protestors evicted.
The temporary restraining or-
der issued yesterday by Com-
mon Pleas Court Judge Joseph
Kainrad tells the demonstrators
to clear out by 8 a.m. today.
But it also tells university of-
ficials to postpone construction
of the $6 million addition until
he can hold another hearing on
the matter July 21.
THE PORTAGE COUNTY
judge also ordered police to
rope off Blanket Hill, where the
May Fourth Coalition has set
up headquarters. ;
The demonstrators have been
on the hill since the seventh an-
niversary of the May 4, 1970
shootings. They say they want
to preserve the memory of that
day, and they say the planned
building would obscure it.
This time, each side has been
careful to keep tempers cool-
and the legal battle that be-
gan yesterday presents a vivid
contrast to the rock-throwing
melee that preceded the shoot-
ings.
THE STUDENTS say the
site should be preserved as a
memorial to the dead students.
The university, with expensive
contracts already let, wants to
begin construction of the $6
million complex by Wednesday.
.Thetdemonstratorssay in
turn that they will have to be
carried off, but will not become
violent. And the university's
response has been to go to
court.
The request for an injunction
against the students complains
that the demonstrators are jeo-
pardizing health and prope ry
rights- and that "the threat
that the encampment will be-
come uncontrollable has in-
creased dramatically."
THOSE WORDS point up the Kent asked for help in dealing weapons at the rioters to scare
biggest difference so far be- with demonstrators in town and them.
tween this confrontation and after a Reserve Officers Train-
that of May 4, 1970 - a classic ing Corps building on campus BUT THE MELEE went on,
"uncontrollable" , demonstra- was burned and demonstrators many students jeering confi-
tion, interfered with firemen trying dently and some taking the
The immediate issue then to put it out. guard tactics as a joke. The
was President Richard Nixon's That Monday, having chased troopers reached the hill, turn-
order to invade Cambodia. But rock - throwing students and in ed once more, and pointed their
it was only one of many issues turn having found themselves guns.
around which protesters of the out maneuvered and pearly This time some of them fired,
time galvanized. Gov. James surrounded, a group of about and four students fell dying in
Rhodes had ordered the Nation- 50 guardsmen retreated to the a nearby parking lot.
al Guard onto the campus two high ground, occasionally stop- Again this year, emotions
days before, after the mayor of ping and pointing their loaded See COURT, Page 9
Hijaclkers freea 75 hostages
HELSINKI, Finland (Mt - The remaining three plane landed in Helsinki, where early yesterday
hostages aboard a Soviet airliner escaped early Finnish officials began negotiating with the hi-
today, leaving the two armed hijackers alone jackers through a window of the plane.
on the plane, a government spoesman announced. Shortly before midnight, the hijackers closed
Asked if the military was preparing to move the window, an airport official said. It was un-
in on the TU134 jetliner, in which the hijackers clear whether they meant to break off the ne-
had hoped to escape from the Soviet Union to gotiations or to suspend them for the night.
Sweden, the spokesman said, "We'll try to per- In the course of the day-long negotiations, the
suade them (the hijackers) to surrender." hijackers released their hostages in several
A Russian air hostess was quoted as saying groups, starting with 42 women and children.
the hijackers were armed with hand grenades The last group of 20 men was released shortly
and explosives. before the window was closed.
- THEY SEIZED THE Aeroflot jet with 78 other SEVEN CREWMEN escaped from the plane
passengers and crew on a domestic flight Sun- soon after,-it landed in Helsinki Sunday, and six
day night and ordered it to Sweden. But the - See HIJACKERS, Page 10