Ann Arbor
teachers vow to
stay on strike
The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 9, 1983- Page 9
University to pursue
famous researcher
By BARBARA MISLE
Ann Arbor public school teachers say
they are determined to continue their
three-day-old strike until school board
officials agree to boost their salaries
four percent.
The strike hai left more than 14,000
students on an extended summer
vacation after teachersrefused to
report to work Tuesday.
PICKETINGatsix locations in the
city, including the Ann Arbor Public
Library on South Fifth Avenue, local
teachers said they would not accept the
board's claim that the school system
couldn't afford the salary increases.
Although the board has, offered
teachers a 2.5 percent wage increase -
an improvement over the initial budget
proposal, which included no salary
raises - teachers insist "things aren't
really that tight," said Larry Merx,
spokesman for the Ann Arbor
Education Association, the union
representing the teachers.
The union has been meeting with
board members or 'representatives
every day since the strike began.
Teachers are asking the board to dip
into its $2 million equity fund to pay for
the wage increase.
"CERTAINLYthe board isn't hur-
ting financially," said Merx. "There is
$2 million left over in equity. We aren't
asking for more millage."
Teachers initially asked for a 5 per-
cent increase, but dropped the request
to 4 percent in negotiations with the
board.
Last year, teachers received an 8
percent wage hike while board"
revenues only increased by four-tenths
of a percent, said Robert Moseley,
Ann Arbor's assistant school superin-
tendent.
"EVEN AT 2.5 percent, the board will
have to scramble to find money"
Moseley said.
"Dipping into the $2 million surplus
fund is not possible. Surplus is only
there until you spend it, but where will
the money come from next year?" he
said.
Another key issue in the strike is a
board proposal asking teachers to use a
less expensive health insurance plan.
Under the proposal, the board would
choose a comparable health insurance
plan that /is cheaper than the current
policy which increases by about $400,00
a year.
BUT UNION officials say giving the
board. the right to choose a health in-
surance plan for them is unreasonable.
"What they are asking us to do is buy
a pig in a poke," said Merx. "There is
no information on what other plans will
cost. (The Board) is saying 'trust us, we
will pick insurance and it will be good,'"
said Merx.
See TEACHERS, Page 18
By GEORGEA KOVANIS
School of Public Health officials have
decided to raise money to create a
University position for internationally
known cancer researcher John Higgin-
son.
The school's executive committee
voted Wednesday to ask corporations to
help fund a post for the disease
specialist, said Joseph Owsley,
associate director for health science
relations. So far, communication with
Higginson has been limited, he said..
HIGGINSON said he has had no con-,
tact with the University since June
when he was invited to campus by the
school's epidemiology department to
deliver a presentation.
Owsley said if Higginson does accept
a University position, he would
probably head a small research unit
within that department.
The researcher was the subject of
much media attention this summer
when Detroit newspapers reported that
his position at the University would be
funded in part by a $1 million en-
dowment from Dow Chemical Com-
pany, a Midland-based firm.
Higginson's theories that the main
causes of cancer are related to lifestyle
patterns such as diet, smoking, and
alcohol consumption, heightened the
confusion because Dow Chemical is un-
der investigation for its work with
dioxin, a toxic chemical which can
cause cancer in laboratory animals
Higginson said he has never conduc-
ted research using Dow funds and said
he is amazed by the connections which
have been drawn between himself, the
University, and the chemical company.
ALTHOUGH Higginson, who is
currently working for Universities
Associated for Research and Education
in Bethesda, Md., has been trying to
land a university research position, he
declined to list which schools par-
ticularly interested him. Because his
research keeps him busy, he said, he is
not in a hurry to settle down im-
mediately. He predicted it would be
some time before any universities con-
tact him with job offers.
"I just know that universities move
very slowly," he said.
University faculty members, fearing
publicity may sway Higginson from
coming to the University, have been
hesitant to comment on the issue. But
Victor Hawthorne, epidemiology
department chairman, said his
colleagues are pleased that Higginson
may come to the University.
"We are interested that a
distinguished scientist might be coming
to Michigan," he said.
School of Public Health interim dean
John Kirscht, who earlier said he is baf-
fled by the reports of connections with
Dow, declined to comment.
More engm. students
invade North Campus
Cherry Westerman, a vocal music teacher at Slauson Intermediate School,
carries her daughter Erica while picketing in front of the Ann Arbor Public
Library yesterday. Westerman joined other demonstrators as part of the
city's teacher's strike.
L
Federal b
By BARBARA MISLE
Complaint hearings regarding
alleged union-busting by a Michigan
drugstore chain have been "postponed
indefinitely" by the National Labor
Relations Board in Detroit.
A trial scheduled for August 29 was
abruptly cancelled six days before the
date to give the board more time to
examine evidence in the suit against
Apex drugstores.
THE PLAINTIFFS, United Food and
Commercial Workers local 876, charge
that Apex's hiring practices
discriminated against union employees
after the firm bought Michigan's 29
Cunningham drugstores; including four
Ann Arbor outlets..
The union claims that the the July,
1982 buyout of Cunninghams was a
move to force out union employees, said
oardpostpones
Bernard Gottfried, regional director of union, Apex wo
the NLRB. Cunningham em
"(The Board) has to make further jobs, paying ab
analysis of evidence we have gathered wages and reco
to see if the complaint has merit," Got- Mary Ellen Gur
tfried said. "Witnesses are not fully union.
supporting the case. The testimony in- Despite the po
dicated that certain things are not fully said she is conf
supported." strong case. "If
THE NLRB issued two complaints in more advice oni
July over the drugstore sale, but since Gurewitz said.
then Cunningham has settled charges because it has g
that it discouraged employees from ap- and a little long
plying for jobs with Apex. If another ference."
hearing is set the remaining complaint DELAYS HAV
against Apex, charging that the com- than year-long c
pany refused to hire union employees to union initially ch
avoid paying higher wages and was the same
benefits, will be heard by an ad- ningham, only u
ministrative law judge. ; and managemen
If the judge rules in favor of the Union officials
uld have to offer 427
nployees their former
out $5 million in back
gnize the union, said
ewitz, attorney for the
estponement Gurewitz
ident the union has a
I (the Board) wanted
it, it is okay with me,"
"I am not displeased
one on for a long time
ger won't make a dif-
VE marked the more
ontroversy in which the
harged that Apex drugs
ecompany as Cun-
nder a different name
t.
still maintain that the
sale is "blatant union busting," and
Apex is an "alter ego" of Cunningham.
"We feel comfortable with (the post-
ponement). We wish that wasn't post-
poned, but it's more time that we have
to wait," said Leo Tarczynski, assistant
to the president of the union.
"The bottom line is the jobless folks
who are still out of work. Most, about 85
percent to 95 percent are women,
divorced of widows, supporting them-
selves and kids. It's really very sad."
Apex hearings
By MICHAEL WESTON
The number of engineering students
taking classes on Central Campus has
been reduced by almost half this term
as the College of Engineering enters the
final stages of its move to North Cam-
pus.
This term's move involves 1300
students from two departments of the
college. Mechanical Engineering and
Applied Mechanics students will now
use facilities in the G.G. Brown
Laboratory, while the Industrial and
Operations Engineering Department,
has become the sole occupant of the
formercResearch Administration
Building.
THE CHANGES, part of a 30-year-old
effort to consolidate the college on Nor-
th Campus, leave only three of the
school's 11 departments on Central
Campus. Over $9 million will be spent
on this stage of the consolidation, which
will include moving a third department,
Civil Engineering, next fall.
According to Associate Dean Charles
Vest, the G.G. Brown Building required
massive renovations to provide the
mechanical engineering department
with classrooms, offices, and
specialized work areas.
Construction of a third floor addition
is scheduled to begin later this month to
alleviate overcrowding in the new
facilities, he said.
THE RESEARCH Administration
Building also has to be completely
renovated to house its new occupants.
Department chairman Stephen Pollock
See MORE, Page 19
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