One hu ig anrf re One hundred eikht years of edit r freedom Weather Today: Cloudy. High 38. Low 31. Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy. High 40. 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