One hu ig anrf re
One hundred eikht years of edit r freedom
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Today: Cloudy. High 38. Low 31.
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Thursday
February 25, 1999
GEO plans walk-out following break
Lack of contract could provoke GSI strike
By Nick Faizon
Daily Staff Reporter
After four months of contract negotiations
th the University, members of the
aduate Employees Organization voted to
stage a walkout early next month at their
membership meeting yesterday.
Of the 262 members who cast ballots, 209
voted in favor of holding a one-day walkout
March 10 and a half-day walkout March 11 if
a contract settlement is not reached.
The members also voted in favor of hold-
ing an open-ended strike beginning March
15 if the University does not comply with
0O's contract requests by that date.
GEO Secretary Treasurer Sandra Eyster
said the number of GEO members in favor of
"a walkout or strike is proof of the organiza-
tion's dissatisfaction with its current contract.
Eyster added that she hopes the March walk-
out would be powerful enough to convince
the University to compromise with GEO,
consequently avoiding a strike.
"We're going to have to have one hell of a
walkout on the 10th and 11 th," Eyster said.
"We have to let the University know what we
can and will do to get them talking."
GEG Steward Nages Shanmugalingan said
the purpose of a walkout, and if need be, a
strike, would be to end the teaching contribu-
tions of all graduate student instructors,
effectively shutting down the University.
Shanmugalingan added that if GEG were
to go on strike, it would encourage all GSIs,
including those who are not GEG members,
not to teach their discussion sections,
GEO Chief Negotiator Eric -Odier-Fink
said that while a strike is, by no means, the
organization's most desirable option, GEO
officials decided it may be the most effective
tool to make the University respond in con-
tract negotiations.
"The bargaining team feels we need a credi-
ble threat of a strike to get a settlement" Odier-
Fink said. "1 hope the University will move."
Many GEO members expressed their sup-
port for a walkout and a strike yesterday, but
the desire for a job action was not unani-
mous. Rackham second-year student Jason
Aubrey, a mathematics GSI, said he believed
arbitration between GEO and the University
was a better solution.
"Unlike a job action, arbitration would
guarantee that we get nothing worse than
what we have and there is a good chance we
could get more," Aubrey told the crowd of
340. "We should not vote for a job action
since our goals in such an action are not
clearly defined. We do not know what we are
getting into and we do not know under what
conditions a job action would end."
GEO Steward Sylvia -Orduio explained
that the length of the strike would depend on
the University's response to CEO's contract
requests.
"The strike is open-ended because we
don't know how the negotiations are going to
move," Ordufo said. "The last time (GEO)
had a strike was in 1975, so we're going to
have to figure this out along the way."
GEO members staged a two-day walkout
See GEO, Page 2A
DAN U'"ON"LLfDait
Graduate Employees Organization President Eric Dimbach
listens as union members discuss a possible strike at a GEO
membership meeting yesterday Inthe Michigan League.
w
....
I
A DAY
OF
ACTION
Bue pq stirs
conflict as MSA
elections near
Rally dmws
students to
the
Diag
By Sarah Lewis
Daily Staff Reporter
"We won't take resegregation, we want quality
education!"
Dozens of students chanted this slogan as they
marched across the Diag as part of yesterday's
Student and Youth National Day of Action in
defense of affirmative action rally.
"This is a real movement;" said Rackham student
Jessica Curtin, a member of the Coalition to Defend
Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary.
The rally was a way to support "complete equali-
ty and complete integration of society," said Curtin,
a Michigan Student Assembly representative. She
added that Day of Action participants fought for
equality in areas including K-12 education, employ-
ment and housing.
"That is our goal in defending affirmative action;
she said.
Curtin said about 20 other colleges and universi-
ties nationwide also participated in yesterday's Day
of Action, including the University of California at
Berkeley and the University of Virginia.
Many student group leaders on campus used the
Day of Action as an opportunity to speak about
other ongoing University and international issues,
including the Graduate Employees Organization
negotiations, sweatshop labor and the U.S.
Government sanctions on Iraq.
GEO member Cedric DeLeon said one issue cur-
rently being debated in GEO contract negotiations is
the hiring of "women and people of color" for at least
two terms of teaching and improving training condi-
tions for international graduate student instructors.
"Don't believe for a second that this University is
100 percent pro-affirmative action,' he said, urging
See RALLY, Page 7A
By JewelGopwawi
Daily Staff Reporter
With Michigan Student Assembly
elections less than one month away, a
new party has emerged from the offices
of the MSA and the LSA Student
Government.
The newly found-
ed Blue Party has SA
prompted changes
within the assembly
and could drastical-
ly affect next
month's elections.
Winning numer-
ous seats on MSA after last semester's
elections, the Students' Party gained con-
trol of the assembly, but that control
could be threatened by defections to the
Blue Party.
MSA Treasurer Bram Elias said he
and former MSA member Andrew
Coulouris helped found the new party.
Both are former members of the
Students' Party.
"The Students' Party was starting to
get out of touch with the people doing
work on MSA," Elias said.
The Blue Party currently has 16 mem-
bers, six of whom are former Students'
Party members.
The new party, which was founded
earlier this month, raises questions about
stability within the assembly.
"My initial concern was that people
would take it as being a betrayal of
other representatives," said MSA
President Trent Thompson, a Students'
Party member.
"I was scared there would be a
dichotomy of sorts in the assembly,"
Thompson said. "But people are starting
to get back on track."
The announcement of the Blue Party
has struck a chord with one member of
the assembly. Engineering Rep. Dave
Burden announced his resignation from
the assembly after its meeting Tuesday
night.
Burden said he has considered resign-
ing from MSA for 18 months, but he
officially decided when the Blue Party
announced its formation to the assembly
two weeks ago.
Burden said his problem with the
Blue Party involves how it was
formed. "The Blue Party was formed
strictly on the basis of personality
rather than professional work," he
said.
In addition to the Blue Party, Burden
See MSA, Page 7A
CHRIS CAMPERNEL/Daily
Supporters of affirmative action rally for the Students and Youth National Day of Action In defense of
affirmative action yesterday on the Diag.
Forum addresses affirmative
actin in igher education
Through the glass
By Sarah Lewis
Daily Staff Reporter
In light of the current debate surrounding affir-
mative action and the use of race in admissions, last
night's forum titled, "Affirmative Action and
Education" featured Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith (D-
Salem Twp.) and two University professors.
Smith, the first woman to rise to leadership in
the state House Appropriations Committee, dis-
cussed the proposal by Sen. David Jaye (R-
Macomb) that would end race-based preferences
in hiring and education in Michigan. The proposal
could appear on the Michigan ballot in November
of 2000.
"My legislation would allow Michigan voters
to prohibit preferential treatment for or against
people based on race, ethnicity, national origin or
gender for college, jobs or business contracts,"
Jaye said yesterday in a telephone interview.
"Minority preferences are unfair, evil and un-
American."
Smith said ending affirmative action would end
opportunities and access for minorities and women
See ACTION, Page 7A
..
MSU fraternity under investigation
From staff and wire reports
*Only two weeks after Michigan State
University's Interfraternity Council and
Panhellenic Association implemented a
voluntary 30-day suspension of social
events, the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity is
being investigated for violating the
moratorium.
According to a report in the Detroit
Free Press, Pi Kappa Alpha fratemity
members received e-mail messages invit-
them to an unofficial party hosted by
Kappa Alpha members. The party,
described as a "case race" beer-drinking
contest, was scheduled for Friday. The
invitation suggested partygoers bring $5,
a girl who can drink and alcohol.
As a result of the e-mail, Michigan
State University officials and the MSU
"It basicallyjust changed the location
of the parties,"
- Ryan Mahaney
Michigan State University first-year student
MSU's Greek Life, told the Detroit Free
Press that due to the investigation, the
fraternity canceled the party.
Terry Denbow, MSU vice president
of university relations, said he is "very
disappointed" that members may have
been planning a party.
"Some people still don't get it,"
Denbow said.
"When you are in college, you are
accountable for your actions. It is frus-
Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity members
refused to comment on the investigation
yesterday.
In addition to the unofficial party, the
e-mails also made reference to a date
party that allegedly included an open
alcohol bar on Feb. 11 - only one day
after the moratorium began.
. Molasso told the Free Press that the
date party was also under investigation
and if "there was a violation of policy, the
sororities have been in accordance with
the moratorium.
Ryan Mahaney, a MSU first-year stu-
dent who said he attends fraternity par-
ties regularly, said he has.not heard of
Greek members holding illegal parties.
Mahaney said that Greek community
members are instead attending house
parties.
"It basically just changed the location
of the parties," Mahaney said. .
Mahaney said he thinks the moratorium
is just a way to appease student's parents.
"There has been such an uproar and
parents are worried," he said.
Other students said the moratorium is
a good cooling-off period.
First-year student Allison Barber said
she was in favor of the 30-day suspension.
Michigan forward Josh Asseln blocks a Penn State shot during the
Wolverines' home finale last night. Michigan lost, 78-72.
StudeA4nts strive t
preventsbkin cancerwj
By Angela Bardoni
Daily Staff Reporter
As University students look for-
ward to soaking up the rays on
spring break, there's one thing
University Students Against Cancer
would like everyone to remember -
sunscreen.
USAC members passed out sun-
Get Burned"event, which will continue
today.
LSA senior Teerada Sripaipan said the
event, which had members of the group
handing out packets of sunscreen
attached to an informational flyer, isn't
new.
"This event takes place every year
during the week before spring break,'
F