Ninety-nine years of editorial freedom
Vol. 1C, No. 1o8' Ann Arbor, Michigan -Thursday, March 9, 1989 Copyright 1989, The Michigan Daily
Senate may raise
minimum wage;
Bush opposes move
WASHINGTON (AP) - The
Senate Labor and Human Resources
Committee approved legislation
yesterday to gradually raise the min-
imum wage $1.30 an hour to $4.65
after rejecting a Bush administration
plan for a smaller increase coupled
with a reduced "training wage."
President Bush has said he would
veto legislation raising the mini-
mum above $4.25 an hour. Accord-
ing to White House press secretary
'We're all set to go to the
floor right away... I think
we'll have strong sup-
port.'
- Sen. Edward Kennedy
Marlin Fitzwater, Bush's proposal
"is fair and firm and his last offer."
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-
Massachusetts), the Labor commit-
tee chair, said he was hopeful "we
can reach a compromise that is fairer
to the working poor and that
President Bush will sign."
Kennedy said the full Senate
could consider the measure next
week. "We're all set to go to the
floor right away," he said. "I think
we'll have strong support."
The minimum wage, now $3.35
an hour, has not been raised in eight
years.
Kennedy said he is "glad to lis-
ten" to Republican calls for a sub-
minimum wage, but only if it is
coupled with specific requirements
for training and education.
Kennedy predicted a veto by Bush
would be overridden.
The committee approved the
$1.30 increase on an 11-5 vote, with
two Republicans voting with the
panel's nine Democrats. The ap-
proval came after the committee re-
jected the White House proposal to
raise the hourly minimum 30 cents
each year for three years, to $4.25.
A House committee is preparing
to consider legislation later this
week that is similar to the plan
Kennedy's panel approved.
Bush's proposal, long opposed by
Democrats and organized labor,
would establish a "training wage" of
$3.35 an hour, the current minimu m
for all workers, and allow employers
to pay newly hired workers at that
rate for their first six months on the
job.
Kennedy, while noting the
administration's threatened veto,
agreed that Bush's call for an in-
crease in the minimum wage had
boosted chances that some increases
will soon be approved.
"This administration has been
more forthcoming than the previous
eight years," the senator said.
The committee also accepted a
proposal to extend federal minimum
wage standards to Puerto Rico.
Thin mints or shortbread? ALEXANDRA BREZ/Dally
Elizabeth Knack sells cookies with other Girl Scouts from Burns Park Elementary School at the corner of South University and
East University.
Jewish
BY JOSH MITNICK
Six concerned members of the
University's Jewish community met
with editors representing the Michi-
gan Daily last night to discuss the
alleged "anti-Jewish" editorials and
articles in the Daily's Opinion page.
The meeting occurred in response to
the Feb. 21 protest rally involving
200 Jewish students and faculty.
The hour-and-a-half long discus-
sion in the Daily's library, marked
by a relaxed and peaceful exchange of
views, was dominated by the six
students,
Daily meet
Groups discuss differences
over
'Anti-Jewish' articles
Jewish students voicing specific
concerns and reactions from the
Daily editors.
"We didn't do this to stifle
political debate," said LSA senior
Brad Kurtzberg, the organizer of the
protest. "We just felt parts of the
three editorials (Nov. 1, Jan. 23,
Feb. 14) , while they may have not
intended to, have gone beyond legit-
imate political debate."
Daily Editor in Chief Adam
Schrager said, "I think the meeting
raised the consciousness and aware-
ness among both parties. I hope the
misunderstandings and miscommu-
nications between the two groups
won't happen again:"
Saying that she had gained a "new
perspective" on the two groups' de-
bate, Opinion Editor Betsy Esch
agreed that the discussion had a
positive outcome. "I have a really
clear idea of where these people are
coming from."
But Esch could not predict how
the meeting would. affect Daily
editorials in the future.
"We certainly needed this oppor-
See Daily, Page 2
Eatern fights
bankruptcy as
it wins first
- court battle
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Machinists striking Eastern Airlines failed to win
appellate court permission yesterday to shut down
commuter railroads in the New York City area, an ef-
fort apparently aimed at forcing federal intervention in
the five-day-old walkout.
The Machinists contend that such an act would be
legal under the 1926 Railway Labor Act. The union
had held off when a federal judge in New York over the
weekend temporarily barred rail workers from honoring
Machinist picket lines.
The judges expect the dispute to go to the U.S.
Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Eastern, in a desperate attempt to lure
back customers to its shuttle service, said it will slash
one-way fares to $12 on weekends and $49 on week-
days.
Pilots at other airlines continued strictly adhering to
safety rules, but for a second day there was little evi-
dence of a backup on runways.
Eastern contends it is near collapse, losing at least
$2 million a day. Its lawyer said in court Tuesday that
the nation's seventh-largest carrier cannot survive the
week if its pilots maintain their support for the ma-
chinists.
The airline is running just four percent of its flights
and says it will consider bankruptcy court, though
only as a last resort. It sent 9,500 workers home this
week and has just a skeleton staff of 1,500 remaining.
The 8,500-member Machinists union walked out
Saturday and, with the support of pilots and flight at-
tendants, nearly shut down Eastern. Eastern is seeking
$125 million in concessions: the union wants $50
million in raises.
The Machinists have asked Trans World Airlines
Chair Carl Icahn to seek control of the carrier, and he
said he is willing to talk with them.
"I would be willing to speak to the unions only if
Eastern permits me to, because I do not want to be ac-
cused by Eastern of interfering with the collective bar-
gaining process," Icahn said in a statement.
Icahn had mulled a bid for Eastern a few months
Senator Bentsen says he
will support
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic
Senator Lloyd Bentsen, a Texan, announced
yesterday that he will vote to confirm former
Texas Sen. John Tower as secretary of de-
fense.
Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell
(D-Maine) said he still has the votes to defeat
the nomination.
Bentsen, the 1988 Democratic vice presi-
dential candidate, became the third Democratic
senator to break party ranks and throw his
weight behind the embattled nominee.
"We have seen every imperfection in an
essentially good man dragged into the pitiless
glare of television lights," Bentsen said. "It
has been a high price to pay for public ser-
vice. I will vote for John Tower's confirma-
tion."
Bentsen, who served in the Senate with his
fellow Texan, said he was impressed with
Tower's pledge not to drink if confirmedto
head the Pentagon.
"I doubt that John Tower could get by,
with putting an olive in a glass of milk. The
scrutiny of his life is going to be so intense
that he may wish he had never sought out
this job," Bentsen said.
Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-Rhode Island), who
had been listed by some Republicans as a po-
tential swing vote, announced earlier that he
will vote against Tower.
Pell said he has come to believe that the
relationships Tower forged with defense con-
tractors after leaving government service pose
"at least the appearance of conflict of inter-
Tower bid
est."
"In this case, I do believe it's in the na-
tion's best interests for the president to make
another choice," Pell said.
An Associated Press survey indicates that
48 Democrats and Republican Larry Pressler
of South Dakota are either firmly opposed to
the nomination or leaning in that direction,
and that 40 Republicans and three Democrats
are either firmly in favor or leaning that way.
GOP leader Bob Dole said he had talked by
telephone earlier today with President Bush,
who continues to support Tower. He said he
'We have seen every imperfec-
tion in an essentially good man
dragged into the pitiless glare of
television lights.'
- Sen. Lloyd Bentsen,
Texas Democrat
would continue the effort to "attract enough
Republicans and Democrats to support the
nomination."
Dole and Mitchell thus set the stage for a
fifth day of debate on the nomination, which
has produced frayed tempers and unusual per-
sonal outbursts on both sides of the struggle.
"I know this debate has been longer than
most, but this is unprecedented. We don't
want to prolong the debate... We want to,
win," Dole told reporters.
Have a balloon1O
Chris Cook, from Students Working Against Today's Hunger, gives a
balloon to Steven Siegel after a donation.
NOW boycott's
BY LAURA COUNTS
Members of the National Organiza-
tion for Woman (NOW) are boycotting
Domino's pizza to protest its owner,
Tom Monaghan, for giving large dona-
tions to groups opposing abortion.
Though the boycott was officially
declared in January, local NOW chapters
are just starting to act.
raise money in support of Proposal A
- to ban Medicaid-funded abortions in
Michigan - and presented the group
with a check for $50,000.
Jan BenDor, Ann Arbor NOW chap-
ter president, said Domino's Corpora-
tion has contributed at least $10,000 to
anti-abortion groups.
nominn's nnhlic relations officials
~minlx'S
"The boycotters are taking an ex-
treme point of view, and don't care who
gets hurt," Voeller said.
"This is pizza. We don't have any-
thing to do with abortion," he said.
But BenDor said since all the fran-
chises funnel money straight to
Domino's, they are all involved.
Elmo