Friday, lune 4, 1976
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Three
Economy big issue in Senate race
By PILLIP BOKOVOY
The big campaign issue of 1976 has
been the state of the economy, and it
will also be a major issue in the race
for Philip Hart's U.S. Senate seat.
The four Democrats seeking the par-
tys nomination for the seat, Secretary
of State Richard Austin, Bloomfield
Hills attorney James Elsman, Congress-
man James O'Hara (Utica), and Con-
gressman Donald Riegle (Flint) are fo-
casing their campaigns on the condi-
tion of the economy.
STATE EMPLOYMENT is still much
higher than the national rate and de-
spite all the glowing promises and pre-
dictions from the White House, Michi-
gan voters still concern themselves with
economic issues.
A poll taken by the Detroit Free
press on the day of the presidential
primary election showed the condition
of the economy to be the voters' great-
est concern.
The week after, Riegle disclosed the
results of a poll administered by his
organization that showed him lagging
far behind Austin in voter name recog-
n ion. O'Hara was third in the poll.
RIEGLE DESIGNED his campaign
stategy to overcome this problem. He
his instituted a series of five-ninute
No. 2 tries harder
While the battle for presidential nom-
ination is raging hot and heavy, some
people are already looking at the num-
her two spot. Already 27 members of
ing Peter Rodino for the job. "He's
the House of Representatives are back-
flattered, of course," said one Rodino
backer. "But he says the vice presi-
dency isn't the type of job you cam-
paign for." However, while Rodino isn't
actively working for the nomination, he
hasn't told anyone not to campaign for
him.
Rocket man
Howard Hughes must have had a
strange family life-at least if the latest
will turned in is the real one. The 28th
last will and testament of the late bil-
lionaire arrived at the Clark County
Courthouse in Nevada Wednesday. It
leaves $400 million to a Dwayne Clyde
Byron Hughes, identifying him as the
billionaire's son "born in a flying saucer
ocer Oklahoma in 1946."
Happenings ...
will keep you busy tonight. At 7
Pt1i. Tyagi Ji, a cosmic transmitter
will hold a session in the Friend's Meet-
ing House, 1420 Hill ... at 7:30 the Marx-
ist Forum is sponsoring a forum on
"The New Michigan Election Law:
Threat to Political Liberty," featuring
Rep. Perry Bullard, Human Rights Party
leader Zolton Ferency and the Chairman
of the Michigan Communist Party Tom-
my Dennis, in the -Pendelton Arts rm.
Of the Union ... at 8 a presentation
entitled "Healing and Western Medi-
cine" will be held at Canterbury House,
218 N. Division and there will be
International Folk Dancing at 8:30 under
the Dental School bldg.
Weather or not
More great weather today with sun-
fY skies and a high around 78 degrees.
television presentations aimed at ac-
quainting the voter with his name and
positions on the issues.
O'Hara has taken a different approach
to make his name a household word,
using a series of short 30-second tele-
vision spots.,
Although Austin is the acknowledged
front-runner, he is also 63: the Riegle
poll found a very large number of voters
who would not cast ballots for a man
over 6.
AUSTIN'S AGE is sure to become
an issue in the campaign but the can-
didates seem reluctant to latch on to
the issue. Elsman has charged Austin
with accepting money from branch man-
agers of the Secretary of State's office.
Elsman is far behind in the race
and most political observers agree that
his candidacy is a long shot.
The race is essentially between Aus-
tin, Riegle, and O'Hara, and each hopes
to draw from a certain power base, then
make inroads into the others' support-
ers.
AUSTIN IS WELL-KNOWN in the
state and received around 60 per cent
of the vote in the state-wide race for
the office he now holds. He received
tremendous margins over his opponent
in Detroit, is expected to repeat that
margin in Detroit, and the other three
candidates have pegged their hopes on
garnering larger than expected margins
there.
Riegle is very strong in the outitate
area and will probably do better now
that State Senator John Otterbacher
(Grand Rapids) has left the race. Riegle
should pick up most of Otterbacher's
support, though his chances hinge on
resounding margins in the Detroit sub-
urbs.
O'Hara, however, is blocking Riegle's
way in suburban Detroit. O'Hara has
represented Macomb County in Wash-
ington for almost 18 years and endeared
the everlasting love of his constituents
when he voiced opposition to proposed
cross-district busing in 1972. tie hopes
to gather enough support outstate to
defeat Austin.
ELsman has no power base to speak
of but hopes he can appeal to enough
people so he can receive a plurality
over the other three. The vote will be
very fragmented and this is a possibili-
ty, but a dubious one.
GEO, attacks 'U' proposals
(continued from Page 1)
to strike - for it seems to be the only
way to reach you," Thurston argued
with the six University negotiators.
The bargainers approached the opo-
position more vehemently on the fourth
mentioned issue, affirmative action.
"I FEEL the most outrageous part of
your contract is affirmative action,"
Thurston said. "There was a regression
on the issue of non-discrimination . . .
you've confirmed all our fears about the
University,"
GEt) had asked the University to coim-
mit itself, in the contract, to implement-
ing a comprehensive affirmative action
program. It charged that under the pre-
vi"us arrangement, whereby the agree-
ment was mnerely appended to the con-
tract in the form of a Memorandum of
Understanding the University did not
adequately fulfill the program goals.
Now tEC) wants a means of enforce-
ment.
"The only reason I can see for your
not putting it in the contract is because
you don't plan to implement the pro-
gram." Thurston said.
SINCE THE affirmative action mea-
sure directs University (departmental)
hiring practices, administrators main-
tain it is inappropriate in a labor con-
tract. "Affirmative action is not an em-
ployment issue," University chief bar-
gainer John Forsyth countered. He also
defended the University saying, as he
did at previous sessions, that implemen-
tation is underway and goals and time-
tables are being set.
GEC) also wants the individual depart-
ments to recruit minority and women
graduate students in order to raise their
representation to national proportions.
However, the faculty and administra-
tion want to stay in control. Again, they
hold the issue has nothing to do with
employment, and say it deals with stu-
dent enrollment.
"It directly affects employment con-
ditions," said Thurston.
A SIGNIFICANT problem in these
contract talks stems from two clashing
perceptions of GSA roles. "We view
them primarily as graduate students
and secondarily as GSA's, they see it
the other way around," Forsyth said
after the meeting.
"That is just their smoke screen to
say they. want to do whatever they
nlease," Dave Moran, GEG president
said later.
Thurston patiently explained at the
meeting the GEO position, "We are in-
terested in vital social change - . . we
are trying to get it wherever and when-
ever we can."
HE CONTINUED, "There ought to be
some firm guarantee which would push
this University in that direction."-a
contract clause.
The non-discrimination discussion was
no more compromising. GEO aimed to
extend non-discrimination categories to
include such issues as freedom of dress,
and alcohol and drug use where it
doesn't interfere with teaching perform-
ance (this is referred to as a "non-
relevant" behavior). They failed on
these two and succeeded on others.
But the factor most contested yester-
day was the exclusion of non-discrimina-
tion on the basis of sexual preference
though it did appear in last year's con-
tract.
Forsyth explained to the Daily, "Un-
der the way we defined it in the last
contract it was okay for us but since
they changed the definition of it (sex-
ual preference) we can't go along with
it."
UNLIKE LAST year's definition of
sexual preference which included free-
dom to choose and sleep with a partner
of the same sex, the addition allows for
public displays of affection by homo-
sexual GSA's. GEO says this mode of
behavior is irrelevant to teaching per-
formance.
"It is the University's prerogative to
decide what is relevant to teaching per-
formance," Forsyth said.
"You're giving the right to depart-
ments to be homophobic, to be bigots?"
Tsang queried.
T I E ADMINISTRATION'S counter-
proposal, after listing some specific non-
discrimination factors, outlines a blan-
ket policy which could conceivably in-
clude sexual preference:
"There shall be no discrimination in
the application of the provisions of this
agreement based on any other factors
as determined by the University which
could in no way interfere with job per-
formance."
"We'd be willing to go back to the
definition that was in the last agree-
ment . . . but think ours is a progres-
sive proposal," Forsyth said outside the
session.
Lambasting the University for strik-
ing a regressive stand, GEO bargainer
Reynolds Monach said, "This says
they'll discriminate when they want to
and they won't discriminate when they
don't want to."
ARGUMENT REACHED a crescendo
during exchange of economic issues
when GEO bargainers hit the manage-
ment with a demand for reduced GSA
tuition rates.
From the end of the long table the
seldom - heard voice of University bar-
gainer Charles Allmand boomed, "Do
you know about 'coony'?" GEO faces
screwed up in confusion for this sounded
like a new breed of name-calling They
responded, "What?"
Repeating himself twice in vain, All-
mand finally spelled it out, "C-U-N-Y",
he said. "When you get a tuition-free
arrangement you break the University,"
he said, referring to the recent payroll
default of the City University of New
York.
RUT WHEN talk got back on track
Forsyth said, "Tuition does not figure
into your employment contract. The re-
gents set the tuition for undergraduate
students and graduates. You are stu-
dents and tuition runs to student status."
Administration members feel they are
giving graduate students a valuable
educational experience through a teach-
ing position.
"Tuition strongly reduces our net in-
come - it is directly related to our po-
sition not as graduate students but as
employes," Thurston said.
The University has offered GSA's a
five per cent wage increase over the
14-month contract period. It has allowed
GSA's to apply that increase to a tuition
grant which would keep the tuition at
present levels with a 3.2 per cent wage
increase instead.
"THEY'RE REALLY nut offering any
raise at all," said GEO negotiator Bar-
bara Weinstein. "In fact, it's a cut
when you consider inflation.
"That's going to be a tough thing to
work on . . . it's completely unaccept-
able," she added.
Meanwhile, research assistants (RA's)
have lost, in the University counterpro-
posal, a minimum wage provision due to
the high cost of research overhead and
lack of funds to cover it.
"DON'T USE us as your whipping
boys," Moran quipped.
Provisions for day care and teaching
assistant training were absent from the
University's cotnterproposal, evoking
strong reaction from GEO members.
Neither bargaining team would go
so far to say a strike is in sight for fall.
"THEIR POSITIONS at the table and
degree of community outrage over their
(the University's) position will deter-
mine how long it will be before a settle-
ment is reached," Moran said.
"We're not only fighting for ourselves,
we're fighting for the community." he
added.
If negotiations come down to the wire
and no agreement is signed by October
5, the GEO membership will decide on
whether or not to strike.
"If they're willing to move on those
issues (the major ones) then its likely
we'll reach an agreement," Forsyth
said for the University's opinion. "But
if they think we're going to give them
(exactly) what they're asking for,
chances are slim we'll reach an agree-
ment," he concluded.