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One hundred eleven years ofeditorilfreedom
*NEWS: 76-DAILY
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wwwmichigandally.com
Wednesday
March 6, 2002
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GEO s
Latest concessions from the
* University not enough; final
votes to be tallied today.
By Maria Sprow
Daily Staff Reporter
"n
till pla
bargaining session, GEO Chief Negotiator and
Rackham student Alyssa Picard said.
"We're not hearing from them on any of the
most critical issues," she said.
In-depth planning for the walk-out took
place after last night's bargaining session. The
walk-out, should it happen, would take place
on the sidewalks surrounding the most popular
University buildings, including East Hall, the
Modern Language Building, the Frieze Build-
ing, the David Dennison Building and the Life
Sciences Institute, which is currently under
construction. Angell Hall would serve as
"Strike Central," the meeting place for anybody
who wants to picket.
GEO President Cedric de Leon said the
strike would need at least 470 picketers in order
ining M
to surround those areas, and at that number
each supporter would need to picket for four
hours.
As of last night, little more than 400 voting
ballots concerning the walk-out had been
turned in to GEO. However, that number is
expected to greatly increase. GEO members are
having a phone marathon today in order to get
more votes turned in before tonight's 9 p.m.
deadline.
During the bargaining session last night, a
letter from LSA Dean Shirley Neuman was
presented to members of the GEO.
In her letter, Neuman promised she would
not use bottom line budgeting, a hiring practice
in which departments are given a certain
amount of money to hire graduate student
arch 11
instructors. GEO members said bottom line
budgeting forces some departments to hire
cheaper GSIs rather than higher-caliber GSIs.
Neuman wrote that she recognized the possi-
ble harms of bottom line budgeting. But
because the letter would be separate from the
contract and would not be legally binding or
enforceable, GEO members said it could not be
trusted and was not sufficient.
"It's not a proposal, it's just an attempt to get
us to shut up about bottom line budgeting,"
Picard said.
But University Spokeswoman Julie Peterson
said the letter would act as a written commit-
ment. Peterson also said a written statement
could not be added to the contract because the
hiring method falls under the category of Uni-
strike
Despite withdrawing four
minor proposals during its
contract bargaining session
with the University, the
Graduate Employees Organi-
zation still plans to go ahead
with Monday's planned one-
versity budgeting. Budgeting language is not*
normally added to contracts.
"A commitment in writing is stronger than a
verbal commitment," Peterson said.
Before yesterday's meeting between both
parties, the University only offered the GEO a
verbal agreement.
GEO members said they will continue to
push for a clause against bottom line budgeting
in the contract. Some considered putting it
under a discrimination clause by arguing that
bottom line budgeting discriminates against
GSIs who have to pay higher tuitions.
But many union members voiced concern
over that possibility.
"There are a lot of problems with doing
See GEO, Page 7
day walk-out, pending a negative vote from the
membership or great progress at tomorrow's
City Council
reverses fall
vote to drop
United Way
By Rob Goodspeed
Daily Staff Reporter
The Ann Arbor City Council voted Monday to rejoin
the United Way, reversing an August 2001 decision to
drop out of the organization.
Last week, the Washtenaw County United Way decid-
ed to remove the local chapter of the Boy Scouts from
the list or organizations which automatically receive
funding from the organization's community fund.
Starting this fall, United Way funds will only go to the
Great Sauk Trail Council of the Boy Scouts if employees
specifically designate their money go to the organiza-
tion.
The United Way had previously refused to drop the
Boy Scouts from the community fund.
"I felt the city was doing its utmost to comply with the
human rights ordinance," said City Councilwoman Jean
Carlberg (D-3rd Ward).
"The University of Michigan students were very
vocal," Carlberg said, who added she thought community
pressure and negative publicity caused the United Way to
change their policy regarding the Boy Scouts.
"I am .glad that the United Way changed it's policy on
the Boy Scouts. They have a lot of good people that do a
lot of good work," said LSA senior Pierce Beckham, one
of five students to meet with interim University Presi-
dent B. Joseph White to discuss issues including the
University's policy with United Way.
"The Boy Scouts are not the only organization that
receives money from the community fund to discrimi-
nate either actively or passively against the LGBT com-
munity," he added.
United Way officials said the Boy Scout controversy
caused the policy change.
"The decision was made because it's an organization
whose membership standards are controversial," said Jim
Cieslar, president of the Washtenaw County United Way,
who said the Boy Scouts would not receive funds from
the community fund starting fall 2002.
The Supreme Court ruled in July 2000 that the Boy
Scouts could exclude an openly homosexual man from
fulfilling a leadership role because they felt he was not
an appropriate role model.
White said he approved the change in an e-mail sent
out to the University community yesterday. "I welcome
this decision by the United Way board," he wrote. "It is
consistent with the University of Michigan's nondis-
crimination policies and our desire to build an environ-
ment that is welcoming to every member of our
community."
See UNITED WAY, Page 7
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- Conyers blasts
treatment of
jailed Haddad
By Louie MelzlIsh
Daily Staff Reporter
"Appalling" was the term U.S. Rep.
John .Conyers used to describe the
conditions in which local Muslim
leader Rabih Haddad is being held
following his detainment for an
immigration violation. Haddad, who
is being held at
the Metropolitan
Corrections Cen-
ter in Chicago, is
currently undergo-
ing deportation
hearings in Detroit
for overstaying a
six-month visa.
Conyers (D-
Detroit), ranking
Democrat on the Conyers
House Judiciary Committee, visited
Haddad yesterday at the corrections
center.. Haddad, a Lebanese national,
was transferred there after being
arrested and detained in Michigan.
"He lives in a poorly lit empty six
foot by nine foot cell and is only per-
mitted to meet with his wife twice a
week and call home four times a
month," Conyers said in a written
statement.
Haddad has claimed that cock-
roaches also infest his cell.
"The treatment of Imam Haddad
has highlighted everything that is
abusive and unconstitutional about
our government's scapegoating of
immigrants in the wake of the Sep-
tember 11th attacks," Conyers said.
"The use of secret evidence and cruel
conditions of confinement against a
man with no criminal record who has
publicly condemned the terrorist act
against our country."
Haddad is a co-founder of the
Global Relief Foundation, a local
nonprofit organization whose assets
were frozen by the government,
which alleged that the GRF had been
funding terrorists.
Randall Sanborn, spokesman for
the office of the US. attorney for the
Northern District.of Illinois, which is
handling the case, refused to com-
ment on the incarceration.
"For an alien who is an overstay,
the government doesn't have a tough
time proving it because they know
when he came in," said William
Dance, a Troy-based attorney special-
izing in immigration. "The record
shows his original stay, as well as any
extension
Haddad's hearings in Detroit before
See CONYtRS, Page 7
LAURIE BRESCOLL/Daily
Interim University President B. Joseph White gets acquainted with students at a reception in his
honor in the Michigan Union Ballroom yesterday afternoon.
Whiteme e ts with
studen'ts to discuss
campus con cerns
By Kara Wenzel
Daily Staff Reporter
Interim University President B. Joseph
White mingled with students at a reception last
night in the Michigan Union ballroom to
address student concerns about their experi-
ences on campus.
Most of the evening's attendees came to
learn a little about White and what his job
entails.
Engineering junior Evan Pollack said, "It
shows he has a genuine interest in his job that
he took the time to meet us."
Residence Halls Association President and
Engineering junior Tim Winslow came to the
reception because he "never got the opportuni-
ty to meet (former President Lee) Bollinger
and see how he interacts with students."
Specific student concerns about the Univer-
sity, including questions about the Graduate
Employees Organization, came up in the con-
versations with White.
"I think GSIs deserve fair treatment. They
need to put a stop to bottom line budgeting
and create childcare," Kinesiology freshman
Pete Woiwode said.
RC sophomore and Students Organizing for
Labor and Economic Equality member Sarah
See WHITE, Page 7
Images from inside
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MSA debates need
of political opinions
in decision making
By Tomislav Ladika
Daily Staff Reporter
Resolutions were passed in sup-
port of the University's affirmative
action policies and the Graduate
Employment Organization's contract
negotiations with the University at
last night's Michigan Student
Assembly meeting, but much of the
debate centered on whether MSA
members should voice their own
political opinions when making
decisions affecting constituents.
Most of the debate focused on the
affirmative action resolution, which
Michigan Student Assembly express
their support of the University of
Michigan's use of affirmative
action."
The resolution passed by a 21-10
margin, with five abstentions.
LSA representative Kristin Harris
said students trusted the MSA repre-
sentatives they voted for to repre-
sent them in a variety of capacities
- including political issues impor-
tant to the University, like affirma-
tive action and the GEO
negotiations.
"We are influenced by political
activities every day of our lives, so
LAURIE BRESCOLL/Daily
Marie Wang, keynote speaker for Asian Pacific Heritage Month, spoke yesterday
evening at the Michigan Union.
Increased awareness
aim of heritage-mont
By Leslie Ward
Daily Staff Reporter
The Asian Pacific American
Association kicked off its celebra-
tion of Asian Pacific American Her-
itage Month last night and began
their goal of "opening eyes and
challenging minds."
The event featured speakers with
multiethnic groups, who highlight-
ed the importance of activism in the
Asian community.
"What, in your minds as Asian
Americans, are you able to con-
tribute to making this place a better
place for all of us?" keynote speak-
er and University alum Marie Weng
asked the audience.
"This is what it's really all about.
ALYSSA WOOD/Daily
LSA junior Nicole Matti views the Prisoner Art Show on display through March
18 at the Media Union Gallery on North Campus.
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