LOCAL/STATE

The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 30, 1997 -


A2to refor
hiring policies
By Peter Meyers
Daily Staff Reporter
The city of Ann Arbor is updating its affirmative action
policies.
n 1995, the Ann Arbor City Council ordered its Human
ources Department to update its affirmative action poli-
cies. The plan had not been updated since 1969. Last night,
HRD made a presentation to city council to report on its
progress.
HRD Personnel Director Robert Scott said a future goal
for the affirmative action plan is to revamp the procedure for
hiring temporary employees. Scott said the city employs
about 300 students from the various schools in the area
throughout the year, most of whom work as temporary
workers in the Parks and Recreation Department.
"We're making departments more accountable in their
ing practices," Scott said.
Scott said he doesn't believe discrimination is prevalent in
the city's hiring practices, but said an updated affirmative action
program is needed so the city can better answer to complaints.
"I do think it was time to tighten up the process so that if
-ever we were questioned about a selection, we could defend
.that selection," Scott said. "We've had very few complaints
about our hiring process."
The modifications that are being implemented include the
use of a less-detailed form system, a mass study of the city's
' ng practices across all departments and increased educa-
n of city employees.
Some city employees expressed apprehension regarding
the new paperwork. Three more detailed forms from the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission were previ-
ously introduced through a limited pilot program. Senior
Personnel Director Sandra Rice said the forms had positive
and negative aspects.
"Documenting these (hiring) procedures is essential,"
Rice said. The forms took a very long time to fill out, but
when the new set of forms are fully implemented, it should
,cut down on the time, Rice said.
City council members expressed some concern over the
,flexibility of the forms'treatment of multi-racial applicants.
"A lot of oeovle consider themselves bi-racial or multi-
racial. Does the EEOC have a code (on the forms) for
that?" asked Council member Tobi Hanna-Davies (D-lst
Ward).
Council member Elisabeth Daley (D-5th Ward) agreed
that allowing for multi-racial applicants was necessary. "It
will be important in the next few years as groups become
less defined."
Interim HRD Director Susan Jahn said that although the
*rms only allowed prospective employees to claim one ethnic-
*ty, she plans to investigate measures to make them more flexi-
ble.
Part of the plan has involved hiring the survey firm Fox
and Lawson to run a study of attitudes toward affirmative
action in the various city departments. The study will
involve many small committees from every city department
and will begin work in the next few months, Jahn said. Its
results are due by next September.
The city employs workers from eight unions. Scott said
these unions were often the source of discrimination
quiries into the city's hiring practices. Scott said that these
quires are often made because the he city's standards for
hiring and promotion are different from the unions'.
"If you know anything about unions, seniority is big on
promotions and transfers and such," Scott said. He said
unions favor promoting the most senior applicant so long as
the applicant is qualified. But according to the doctrine of
the city, he said, "It's qualifications first, then seniority."

HEARING
Continued from Page 1.
sprayed pepper spray, which caused some of the more than
50 pepple attending the hearing to cough persistantly and
even to vomit.
"I tried to talk to them, but they wouldn't listen," Huyghe
said.
Jaye said he gave the protesters an opportunity to voice
their opinions.
"I went through extraordinary lengths to be fair," Jaye
said. "Also, I don't believe these students are representative
of most University students."
Because of the lingering pepper spray, the hearing was
moved to the hall outside of the chambers, and people were
given a chance to speak about affirmative action at the
University.
The protestors who were not arrested moved outside the
municipal hall and continued to protest, chanting, "We
demand an education, we won't take resegregation."
Each of the four arrested protestors posted $100 bond
and were released after the hearing ended.
Miranda Massie, one of BAMN's three attorneys, said
she and her colleagues will look into filing a lawsuit
against the Shelby Township police department for exces-
sive force and violation of First Amendment rights.
BAMN member Alex Johnson said he was sprayed in the
face with pepper spray and received bruises to his forehead
from the force exerted by an officer.
"This did not have to happen this way at all," Johnson
said. "Disruption of a meeting to me is not the same thing
as disorderly conduct.'
Kaza said that because of the protest, he plans to introduce
legislation in the state House today that will uphold a speak-
er's free speech rights when individuals, such as protesters,
attempt to prevent the speech.
"They're punks," Kaza said. "It's important to stand up
to them and tell them they don't intimidate me. Their
actions caused these innocent people to be in a room filled
with tear gas."
Under Kaza's proposal, individuals who prevent others
from speaking would be able to be sued in a civil court.
Law first-year student Jodi Masley, a BAMN member,
said the legislators' attempt to gain support through the
hearing was not effective.
"David Jaye's turnout was nothing, and I don't think it's
what he wanted," Masley said. "It proves he has a fight on
his hands."
Kaza and Jaye, along with Reps. Michelle McManus (R-
Lake Leelanau) and Deborah Whyman (R-Canton), have
contacted the Center for Individual Rights, the
Washington, D.C.-based law firm that won the ground-

MARGARET MYERS/Daily
BAMN protesters (right to left) University first-year student Monique Gifford and Detroit resident Tanya Troy chant in
defense of the University's affirmative action policies in the Shelby Township city council chambers last night.

breaking Hopwood affirmative action case last year at the
University of Texas.
CIR and the legislators are working together to interview
potential plaintiffs for a class action lawsuit against the
University. People arguing on both sides of the issue
regarding the University's admissions policies and the
potential lawsuit were present at the hearing.
LSA senior Lesley McIntyre said that while she believes
affirmative action must remain intact at the University, she
does not agree with BAMN's method of protesting.
"Look at the Constitution. Who wrote it? A bunch of
white slaveowners," McIntyre said. "I can't believe anyone
can say racial tensions are not rampant.
"(BAMN) marginalizes and demeans the cause. That's
the only thing I agree with David Jaye on."
Steven Smith, a Shelby Township resident, said he attend-
ed the meeting to support Jaye's anti-racial preference cru-
sade because he believes his son may have been rejected
from the University because he is not a minority.
"I feel that under other circumstances he might have been
accepted," Smith said. "I think that a person should be
judged on his merit and nothing more. This is just reverse

discrimination."
Philosophy Prof. Carl Cohen, who has done extensive
research to argue the University uses race as a factor-in
admissions, said the University is currently undergoing
tremendous racial tensions.
"Race relations on the campus of the U of M are worse
now than they ever have been," Cohen said.
Jaye said he plans to hold another hearing in Macomb
County within the next three weeks; and he added the
meeting last night was a success.
"Even these protestors didn't succeed in stopping us;'
Jaye said.
Vice President for University Relations Walter Harrison
said the University is taking the representatives' threats
seriously and therefore has looked to outside council.
"I generally take people at face value and David Jaye said
they are going to sue us," Harrison said. "What else are we
supposed to think? It's a little unusual. Usually we don't retain
counsel unless we're sued, but since these people have been so
public we thought it would be better to retain the firm now."
- Daily Staff Reporter Heather Kamins contributed to
this report.


TICKETS
Continued from Page 1
won the - less prestigious National
Invitation Tournament championship.
The program is also under investigation
for alleged wrongdoings concerning a
Detroit booster's involvement with
players and recruits.
"Sure, you can say that the negative
publicity the program has been receiv-
ing probably has something to do with
it," Lambright said.
One LSA first-year student, who did-
n't want his name used, said the poten-
tial affects of the investigation influ-
enced his decision.
"I knew that they weren't going to get
any recruits," he said. "I'm not going to
waste my money."
Another factor that has impacted this

year's basketball ticket sales is the success
and popularity of the hockey team. The
Michigan hockey team won the national
championship two seasons ago, and
advanced to the final four last season.
The ticket office has received 3,800
hockey ticket applications, which is up
about 1,000 from last year.
"I heard the hockey crowds were bet-
ter," LSA first-year student Brian
Hayden said.
Lambright said this year's increased
demand wasn't expected.
"We were surprised by the big jump
because last year, with the nine return-
ing seniors, we thought we'd see the
height of it," Lambright said.
However, hockey fans need not worry
about getting tickets due to an increase of
seats set aside for University students.
"Everyone who applies will get

hockey tickets," Lambright said.
For some fans, money was the decid-
ing factor in choosing which sporting
events to attend.
"When it's time to buy football tickets,
I have money," Engineering sophomore
Becky Seymour said. "But by the time it's
time to buy basketball tickets, I don't."
Hayden said money also played a key
role in his decision to only buy hockey
tickets. "With all the problems the bas-
ketball team is having - it was either
going to be one or the other," he said.
Despite the current numbers, Senior
Associate Athletic Director Keith
Molin is optimistic about ticket sales.
"When all is said and done, I think
we'll be where we were last year," Molin
said. "There's so much interest in football
right now that people haven't gotten
around to winter sports yet"

SAFETY
Continued from Page 1
"That report led to rather sweeping changes on campus (ir
terms of campus safety)," Boylan said.
Associate Vice President for University Relations Lis
Baker said that Cantor and Matthews will probably allov
time for the committee's recommendations to sink in befor
they take any action.
"I think that both of them want to allow ample time for the
campus to review the recommendations of the task force an(
to provide feedback on the recommendations,' Baker said
"There is a period for public comment and that is a very
important time for students and faculty and staff to reviev
the (proposals)"
Copies of the report can be obtained at the reserve
desks of the Shapiro Undergraduate Library, the
Taubman Medical Library and North Campus's Medit
Union.
People wishing to respond to the recommendations may e-
mail their comments to security.feedback@umich.edu.


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