The Michigan Daily Edited and managed by Students at the University of Michigan Friday, July 30, 1976 - News Phone: 764-0552 Wheeler dealer? rTHIS WEEK a member of Ann Arbor's City Council claimed that Mayor Albert Wheeler endorsed Secre- tary of State Richard Austin for the Democratic U. S. Senate nomination in order to get Wayne County of- ficials to exclude the city from the controversial "Super Sewer" plan. The member told the Daily that Wheeler had earlier indicated strong support for Congressman Donald Riegle. but that "old friends" were influencing him to vote for Austin - "old friends" who were Wayne County officials with influence over the sewer plan. It is unclear at this point how much Wheeler was motivated by pure expediency in backing Austin. He claims he was just reviewing with the council member "one of the ways of operating politically to serve your constituents," and that the sewer consideration, while it was discussed with Wayne officials, was a relatively insignificant in his support of Austin. But the old "reviewing of political options" argu- ment is the same one Richard Nixon used to try to de- fraud the Ame'rican people. Wheeler is no Nixon, but the alleged political maneuvering and deal-cutting is dis- honest and deceptive to Ann Arbor voters. "That's just the way politics works," say some. How unfortunate that they may be right about a mayor The Daily has supported throughout his political career. preservinga union .. . P " f 1MH1!WAL;KEEJOURNAI -~ } 'Well, I don't care what you think you see . . our air force just released a report discounting unidentified flying objects! To The Daily: Two items recently appeared in the University Record of which clericals should take note. The first gives full de- tails about the upcoming decer- tification election for UAW Lo- cal 2001. The second relates the status of the University-GEO nevotiations. It occured to me just how important decertifica- tion is to the 'University admin- istration. If clericals vote to de- certify, it will release almost the exact amount of money the University needs to meet GEO's economic demands. Decertification would make the university doubly happy: it could pacify GEO at the same time it watches the clericals de- stroy their own chances for fu- ture gains. What this means for the clericals is no pay raise, no way of holding the University to obligations it had during the life of our contract, no defense against unfair actions of super- visors, no way to prevent lay- offs, and no fair system of pro- motions. For 3000 clericals, ab- solutely nothing. A CLERICAL for decertifica- tion said in The Daily that she was willing to take her chances with the University. Does she realistically consider what those chances are? Does she know when the University will start paying us what we are worth? Does she have any idea when the University will start treating us with the respect- it accords other job families? A realistic guess supplies this answer: when hell freezes overt I prefer to work out realistic solutions to real problems. I'm casting my vote to preserve our union! Judy Sisung UAW Local 2001 To The Daily: My main objective in work- ing as a clerical at the Univer- sity of Michigan is to earn a living. I initially chose to work as a clerical here because it was the most beneficial job op- portunity I had at the time in the area; I am still here be- cause it remains to be so. When I first began working here there was no union. I was hired, given a merit increase, and promoted based on my abil- ity and experience. Now there has been a union here for al- most one year. I am suddenly stripped of my right to a merit raise no matter how good a job I may do. I cannot move to another position unless I sit 'be- hind my desk the greatest num- ber of years, and for all practi- cal purposes, I am restricted to a promotional group even though my added "job related" classes have qualified me for and are more suited to moves elsewhere. I AM FORCED to pay ser- vice fees to a group I do not wish to join, to abide by ideas I do not support, to be called "sister" by people who are not even acquaintances, and to be molded into a worker I will not be. I am told this is all in the name of equity, that it has come about from unfair super- visors and management, and that if I wa to voice my' opin- ion to joi e union. cerica l for um First of all, equity does not carry with it the unquestioned right to strip all of us of our individual rights. Seniority car- ries with it many more inequi- ties than it was supposed to correct. Secondly, I agree, un- fair supervisors do exist. But if I have a "supervisor" prob- lem the union solution of griev- ing won't solve much for me, I still remain with the same supervisor. I will move if abso- lutely, necessary, but give me back the right to do it my way. Grieving is degrading. Above Letters should be typed and limited to 400 words. The Daily reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. all, I would never work for my enemy (the union calls this "brown-nosing"!) Finally, to voice my opinions I am supposed to join the union. It has even been suggested that those that feel as I do vote in a block. When I join a group it is because I believe in it and what it represents. The union has done one thing 'for me (an extra floating day at Christmas) and many more against me. THE CLINCHER is that once I sign a UAW card I am not to voice anti-union sentiments. Now how can you truly voice an opinion if you're not to speak against the group? Once a mem- ber you must always remain so. Some equity! Also, they ob- viously are not interested in or will not accept anything I truly believe in. A case in point is the ques- tionnaire regarding contract de- mands sent to all clericals. It left no room for opinions other than the basic union ideas (sen- iority, flat dollar increases, un- reasonable benefits). It was to- tally biased and even threw in propaganda to influence your answers!! And I'm supposed to join that to voice my opinion? How can any one of us be proud of this group as our "rep- resentatives"? The letter sent by the union to all clericals en- titled "A Letter to All Clericals In Defense of Our Union" did not reasonably discuss issues. It wasted my time and my mon- ey (service fees for postage) name-calling. When I join a clerical group it will be one which I'm proud represents us. It will not be a group whose core is force and who relies on name-calling rath- er than reason. My needs are best represented by no union at all. Jacquelyne DenUyl Secretary, Grad. School July 28 . destroying a union Gop, c ov {ts was e//; M clra; ycu w yoi95 sycc's decrde fi! yov Z Crem_ nfea' td o ecame haf ,vfy CAs5/ s a ryrrrrrSt ? :: /uas a s/or fd rha By cy/5.C 6-arh Pete Schneeberger ond John Gaijilean ~~______ _