4 OPINION Page 4 Wednesday, March 14, 1984 The Michigan Dail GE By Gene Goldenfeld As has been well publicized, this term the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) is enforcing the "Agency Shop" provision of its contract with the University contained in Article V. That means that the approximately 1,700 members of the bargaining unit will be paying either union dues or a represen- tation-service fee as a condition of em- ployment. Most GSTA/SAs paid either through payroll deduction or directly to GEO. The rest have recently received official letters demanding payment, at the risk of being, fired. While many members are thanking us for finally taking this step, our decision has drawn the expected objections from a minority, almost entirely among those who formerly neither paid nor joined. Why is GEO enforcing this provision now? For collective reasons. With a new contract now in place, the Univer- sity will take it more seriously if we show our willingness to enforce its provisions. As long as GEO has a lax attitude about membership and dues- paying requirements, the ad- ministration exhibits a similar attitude about upholding their end of the o provides deal-as many overworked, underpaid Our predecessors wer GSTA/SAs know well. Even the recognize this situationa obligatory letter about GEO sent by when the administration a Staff Relations to each new TA/SA each ted against GSTA/SA sa academic year has been so confusingly waivers, and the like. worded that it ends up in misunder- militancy and dedication standings, if not the trash can. It is our and RAs came GEO and belief that the situation needs changing, "Good things" that all and our experience shows that to the today. Along the w extent we do change it, the ad- ministration will take GEO seriously. collective benefits re forced to a decade ago arbitrarily ac- daries, tuition Out of the of TAs, SAs, d most of the three have 'ay the ad- y4 the new Contract GEO won that too, ef- fective next September. Even in the current tuition waiver crisis, just having a collective organization in place demanding renegotiation of salaries and tuition has already forced the University to make the token con- cession of short-term loans. A larger, more active, and militant membership OFTEN WE ARE ASKED: why should I join GEO, what has it done for me? Wouldn't we have eventually received the various salary, tuition, and medical benefits anyway? GEO is a collective of all graduate student teaching assistants, graders, academic counselors, and library staff assistants for dealing with issues affecting us in common as paid employees. While most grad students like to think of themselves as becoming professionals, in fact they carry a large part of the employee workload of the University. And like any other employer, the University tries to get the most out of its employees for the least amount of money. For example, it was reported last year that TAs carry nearly half of the total teaching load for about 2 per- cent of teaching expenditures. 'Out of the militancy and dedication of TAs, SAs, and RAs came GEO and most of the ''good things" that all three have today. Along the way the administration has op- posed GSAs at every step.' will be answered more promptly. The bottom line financially is that it is neither democratic nor just that over half the GSTA/SAs foot the collective effort for the rest. WITH A LARGER and more active organization GEO's operating expenses have and will increase a bit, but most of the dues collected go to our parent organizations, the Michigan and American Federations of Teachers (MFT/AFT). Whatever one thinks of their policies or dues structures, the fact is that affiliation brings us access to their resources and the greater clout of labor solidarity in Ann Arbor, Lan- sing, and Washington. During the years 1976 to 1981 when the University dragged us through court, the MFT ef- fectively funded GEO by providing a free labor lawyer and technical assistance, also waiving our dues owed to them. We now, of course, have to pay those dues, but even so, with a much larger dues-paying base we hopefully might be able to cut each member's obligation a little without undermining our strike fund. If all this comes as a surprise to some graduate students-as recent letters and articles in the Daily indicate-we who are active in GEO have to admit being a little puzzled. We have stuffed mail boxes, posted meeting notices, sent out mailings to all bargaining unit members, and had articles in The Daily, the Ann Arbor News, and the University Record. Certainly GEO's short-handed cadre could have been more effective here or there, but is that really why we haven't heard from many GSTA/SAs? GEO needs contribution from all GSTA/sas. Financially, we hope that. everyone will send a check and payroll deduction form, the latter so that we don't have all this hassle and expense in' future terms. Organizationally, we hope that members will come to mem-,', bership meetings and call the office to volunteer a little time, perhaps to distribute flyers or arrange a depar- tment meeting. Politically, we hope bargaining unit members will join in giving GEO a strong collective will, one which can bargain effectively with thee; University administration for GSTA/SA needs, one which can then make sure our agreements are adhered ministration has opposed GSAs at every step. It wanted us legally classified as students so it would not have to give us staff medical benefits, negotiated salaries, and other provisions. After several years of court hearings GEO won. The University has always claimed that tuition is a student matter and is thus non-negotiable. In could get this and many more problems solved quickly. Is GEO enforcing "Agency Shop" for the money? Definitely not. The Union's operating expenses have not been large and there have not been any paid employees, although we are now hiring someone to staff the office 10 to 20 hours a week. Hopefully phone calls to. ...a '. Goldenfeld is a member of the GEO Steering Committee and is a graduate student in psychology and sociology. blt Hfitarrigan 41) all Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan Vol. XCIV-No. 129 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board OF COURSE, ITS UP HTO THE CHILD WHETHER HE OR1 SHE ACTUALLY PRAYS... ft1 ) ~rfi1 T IS THE policy that an individu t t an_ e--reated in a tadRional facto sidered irrelevan academic abilitiesc such as race, sex, r origin. To most stude statement might se released by the Uni activists who have months to get Pr define this officialI won victory. And a that is far from com The presidential does not have the s change in the Uni would. A by-law change approval of the Un Regents. Unfortun fail to ack discrimination aga curs here at the Uni It is also distu President Shapiro discrimination poli one has presented a me that there's ay with discrimination Apparently Shap the claims of ga harassment or los their sexuality. Mendelsohn's cla burned a poster o advertised a lesb enough to convinc campus discrimin people. Or is it tha gay jokes which o have cited are not e Shapiro. Obvious regents are not co face discriminati Shapiro would have of approval on this p While it is laudab a presidential policy regents still do no Partial policy of the (University) pain gays experience on campus. This ual's sexual orien- is probably because large government the same manner institutions such as the military still rs which are con- discriminate 'on the basis of sexual it to a person's orientation. It is also probably due to or job performance the fact that a lot of the anti-gay eligion, and national discrimination is subtly endorsed by opinion leaders, individuals, and ents, the above institutions everyday in this country. enm like any other versity, but for gay The University, as a leader in guiding e struggled for 15 students to become more socially esident Shapiro to concerned adults, should try and policy it is a hard- counter the negative stereotypes of avictory, however, gays which society keeps propagating. plete. But as long as the people who guide the policy statement University, like Regent Thomas game weight that a Roach, will say that they are "not sure iversity's by-laws that (a gay non-discrimination policy) is necessary" gay activists will have to keep on pushing for their rights. .must receive the Regent Roach's comment, that a policy iversity's Board of endorsed by the University regents ately, many regents would encourage members of the inowledge that University community to advocate inst gays really oc- homosexuality which he is not versity. comfortable with, is simply ridiculous. irbing that while The University by-laws state that a issued the non- discrimination on the basis of marital cy, he said that "No status is prohibited. Does this then ny solid evidence to necessarily advocate marriage? Of. particular problem course, it does not. Also, Regent Roach (against) gays." admitted that students should be iro doesn't believe allowed to do what they please in y activists citing private, but he contradicts himself t jobs because of when he imposes his moral judgement Maybe Ruth on homosexuality and refuses to im that someone advocate a non-discrimination policy ff her door which to protect gays. bian tea was not The policy statement Shapiro has ce Shapiro of on- issued is a good move. But the force ation against gay behind it is shaky. There is apparently t name-calling and some prejudice towards gays by top ther gay activists University officials which, although enough evidence for subtle and probably not intentional, is ly many of the nonetheless destructive to Athose )nvinced that gays individuals who must face the n on campus or everyday, nagging fear that their gotten their stamp sexuality is wrong or unacceptable. As )olicy. a result, gays may feel it is still not le that there is now safe to express their identity and feel , administrators and they must deny their individual t acknowledge the sexuality. . ,' n -p- 4 r-- ,. , , :; y ^ ' ' .+ ".. = _ - ' L _ __ 1' I _ s ' j I . Hart's success more than momentum', By Mary Ellen Leary SAN FRANCISCO-Momen- tum from his early victories in the Northeast promised to carry Gary Hart to some new successes on Super Tuesday. But here in the West, it is more than momen- tum which people see and like in Hart. Westerners intuitively favor an individualist who strikes out on his own, one who disdains, as the Colorado senator has, running with the pack-or with PACs. They like his brash confidence, his alignment with the young, his emphasis on "ideas" rather than coalitions, interests, or organizations. Most of all, they respond to his insistent call for confronting what is new in America's mix of problems and relationships as the nation moves into a rapidly changing world. A FLOOD OF volunteers is pouring into Hart headquarters in mountain states and on the West Coast, overwhelming the small knots of loyal workers who plodded unknown a few weeks ago. Hart buttons are hot items, his literature is snatched up wherever it is displayed. To judge by what these people say, Democrats, independen- ts-who fourish in the West-and even Republicans here and there have been yearning to quit the national nostalgia for the past. In 1980, when Ronald Reagan swept the West and a half-dozen creative Democratic senators westward shift in political vitality is so powerful that only a Western Democrat can oust the Western incumbent Republican from the White House. Hart's Utah campaign chief, attorney Tim Haupt, says, "The professional politicians put all this talk about new ideas down as campaign gimmickry. But the people don't. The people are drawn to it. They hunger for it." Of course, this new-born zeal must still face seasoned cam- before the New Hampshire results. In Utah, Hart manager Haupt reported an "explosive reaction" after New Hampshire, starting first with young professionals but now spilling across the board. "In the past two days, I've had four calls from lifelong Republicans who said they are attracted by Hart's emphasis on the need for forward-looking leadership." In Nevada, the current Hart Pena sees it, the strength of Hart's appeal is his recognition that the ordinary voter under- stands how complex the world is today and how complex are presidential responsibilities. "The American voter is much brighter than politicians are assuming. Even conservatives are disturbed by the simplistic r. Reagan approach to the deficit, and businessmen are troubled about our trade picture. Voters ° know you can't meet today's ? issues by standing up and saying, 'God bless America.' Things are not OK today, and people know it." Hart's building strength in the West, says Pena, reflects not -d merely the momentum of his campaign, but voter hunger for new policies and new faces. He notes that across the West, new, youthful Democrats have been sweeping into office as mayors and govenors-nine of 12 Western governors are now Democrats and Pena's victory in Denver has been followed in many major cities where Democrats in their 30s have turned out old guard Republicans. "We are turning a corner in American history, and the West recognizes it," he said. Leary is West Coast correspondent for the London Economist. She wrote this ar- ticle for the Pacific News Ser- vice. by Berke Breathed Does a face-off in the West overwhelmingly favor Gary Hart? paigners and party stalwarts in the Mondale ranks who have been working Western states for mon- ths. In New Mexico, where there was no time for a Hart buildup, he came in second to a strong Mondale lead. THOUGH HART has not had to struggle for name recognition as he did in Eastern states. New Hampshire did have an effect. In Wyoming, the Hart campaign had two people working full-time, compared to 40 for Mondale, crisis is a shortage of buttons. "We are facing a stampede," said Kimberly Munro in Las Vegas. "Two weeks ago, everybody was moaning about apathy. Now there is a wonderful kind of chaos-people pouring in- to our office and demanding jobs they can do." Beyond Colorado's home-state affinity for Hart, Denver's new young mayor, Federico Pena, feels he has a special insight as one of his close advisers. As ... .. .:...... . .. . 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