Thursday, April 8 2004 News 3A New Friendster-like online service takes flight How to make the Diag your soapbox ... Weekend Magazine, Page 12B nutl tal Weather Opinion 4A Sports 9A Steve Cotner's ode to summertime Q&A of the Tigers' season HI: 56 LOW: 37 TOMORROW: 501283 One-hundred-thirteen years ofeditorialfreedom www.michigandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXIII, No. 130 ©2004 The Michigan Daily I 'THE WALKOUT WILL GO ON TO ENSURE PROGRESS CONTINUES.' Striking out LectuWrs and U' don't rsolve contract The University offered salaries of $28,000 at the Ann Arbor campus, the highest paid campus. LEO demands $40,000 for all three campuses, Lecturers demand a hiring policy that only allows the University to terminate employment based on "cause" or lay off lecturers based on financial restraints. LEO demands health care throughout the spring and summer terms. GSIs walk out, SsupportLE By Melissa Benton Daily Staff Reporter With the Lecturers' Employee Organization striking today, academic life on campus is being disrupted. The LEO strike is affecting not only lectures but discus- sions as well. In support of LEO, many graduate stu- dent instructors have decided to cancel their classes today as well. Some members of the Graduate Employees' Organiza- tion said that GEO has decided to back lecturers in the walkout today. "They're encouraging us to support (LEO) or stand on the picket lines," political science GSI Leanne Powner said. The GEO contract specifically prohibits union mem- bers from participating in "work stoppages" such as strikes and walk outs. GEO President David Dobbie and Rackham student Gabe Kirchner, a GEO steward, said GEO will not officially endorse the LEO strike. Kirchner said it was a moral decision for graduate students whether to support the walk out or not. English GSI Charlotte Boulay said she supports LEO's goals. "I am definitely joining the picket lines, and I would cancel class if I had one (today)," Boulay said. Lecturers are not appreciated enough on campus, Boulay said. "I think the lecturers are a really important part of the University, and I think they should be com- pensated for the amazing work they do," she added. Many students also hope that the strike will improve the tension on campus. "Hopefully this will help resolve the problems between the lecturers and the University," LSA sophomore Jane Dykema said. But with the end of the semester drawing near, some instructors said they feel the need to have class. Despite her support for LEO, English graduate student instructor Marjorie Rubright has decided to still have class tomorrow. But she said she will be holding the See CLASSES, Page 5A LABOR NEGOTIATIONS Talks end with no awreement By Alison Go Daily Staff Reporter Shortly after 4 a.m., the Lecturers' Employee Organiza- tion and the University administration cut off negotiations for the evening, ensuring that the planned LEO walkout will occur today. "Because it came so late in the night, we did not make any tentative agreements," LEO President Bonnie Halloran said. "We do not have a new contract and will be holding the walkout as planned." The "strike central" on campus is Haven Hall, facing the Diag, the LEO website said. Picketing was to begin at 5:30 a.m. "We definitely made progress on job security and salary," Halloran said. "The walkout will go on to ensure progress continues." The administration, however, is still optimistic that an agreement will be reached. "The University bargaining team feels they are making headway," University spokeswoman Julie Peterson said. Both sides have no plans for the immediate future, aside from more talks that will restart tomorrow morn- ing at 9 a.m. The University has yet to meet the demands of LEO. There have been 36 bargaining sessions, which have resulted in agreement on 18 contract articles, since the inception of the talks on August 19. The last article that was passed regards how the Univer- sity posts its available job positions. "The lecturers are an important group on campus and they do a good job in terms of creating a wonderful and intellectual environment," University President Mary Sue Coleman said. The negotiations, which began at 1 p.m. at the Wolver- ine Room in the Michigan Union, mostly revolved around salary and job security issues, Peterson said. The negotia- tions were scheduled to last until 5 p.m., but bargaining sessions were restarted at 5:30 p.m. and extended into the early morning at the Administrative Services Building near the Wolverine Towers. Salary talks include an agreement on minimum full-time salary for LEO members. The University has suggested salaries of $28,000 at the Ann Arbor campus - the highest paid campus - while LEO demands $40,000 for all campus- es, including Dearborn and Flint. The administration's plan would cost the University $300,000 annually, and and the Uni- See LEO, Page 5A MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily Sara Frank, a member of the Lecturers' Employee Organization, makes a sign last night at the University In preparation for a LEO strike on the Flint campus. LEO and the University failed to reach a contract agreement last night before time remained to efficiently call off an instructor walkout, which planned to cancel many classes or move them to off-campus locations for today. p WAR IN IRAQ U.S. bombing said to have killed dozens FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) - U.S. Marines battled insurgents for control of this Sunni Muslim stronghold yesterday, calling in airstrikes against a mosque compound where witnesses said dozens were killed in six hours of fighting. An anti-U.S. upris- ing led by a radical Shiite cleric raged for the fourth day in southern cities. The Abdel-Aziz al-Samarrai mosque was hit by U.S. aircraft that launched a Hellfire missile at its minaret and dropped a 500-pound bomb on a wall surrounding the compound. The U.S. military said insurgents were using the mosque for a military fire base. U.S. officials said no civilians died and American commanders gave conflicting reports of insurgent casualties. An Associated Press reporter who went to the mosque said the minaret was standing, but damaged, apparently by shrap- nel The bomb blew away part of a wall, opening an entry for the Marine assault. The reporter saw at least three cars leaving, each with a number of dead and wounded. The heavy fighting against the Sunni insurgency coincided again yesterday with attacks on coalition forces in southern 'U' committee agrees to wage disclosure policy Possession of fake identifications, like these taken at Village Comer on South University Avenue, may carry harsher penalties after city officials convene tomorrow. Ciy econsiders itS fake ID penalties Policy would publicize earn- inzgs of workers makinzg school apparel By Michael Kan Daily Staff Reporter A cool sigh of relief lingered through the final seconds of yesterday morning's meeting of the University's Labor Standards and Human Rights Committee, as members agreed on a proposal to recommend that the University make the wages of factory workers producing school apparel pub- licly available. Prompted by pressure from Students Organiz- ing for Labor and Economic Equality for the University to implement a wage disclosure poli- cy, members of the committee have debated the Where's wages? Students lobby to reveal factory workers' pay Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality is pushing for wage disclosure. Other colleges, including the Univer- sity of Wisconsin, are also in the process of divulging wages of workers making their school apparel. President Coleman will likely respond to a committee's recommenda- tion that she disclose wages tomorrow. By Fara Arrine Daily St Reporter Underage students using fake identification to purchase alcohol or gain entrance to bars may soon face missed so that it does not appear on a students record. "The city has decided it does not make that offer anymore," Lewis said of the current punishment for having a fake ID. Lewis said city ., F:.,.ln.. . nrvn n ra rf