The Michigan Daily-Thursday, July 31, 1980-Page 3 City set back by federal./ denial of storm aid By ELAINE RIDEOUT While assessing the destruction left in the aftermath of Tuesday's deluge, city officials learned yesterday the federal government has rejected a state emergency-aid request for storm- plagued southern Michigan. Federal officials reportedly denied. the aid because they were not convin- ced the storm-related problem could not be solved locally. ASSISTANT CITY Administrator Godfrey Collins said the city is unequipped to handle the recent influx of storm-inflicted damage. "We were expecting to be designated a (federal) disaster area," he said. "I don't know what we're going to do now." Without federal aid, Collins said, the city is hoping for state aid to cover at least 20 per cent of the damage costs in- curred because of the storm. Collins said city officials will meet today to discuss funding alternatives. MEANWHILE, WIDESPREAD structural damage was reported yesterday on North Campus as a result of the second major storm to hit Ann Arbor in two weeks. According to Walter Stevens, director of the University Department of Safety, winds reaching 70 mph tore the roof off the Aerospace Engineering Building, causing some interior ceilings to cave in. Roof damage was also reported at the Art and Architecture Building and several married housing apartment units. Windows were broken in the Art and Architecture and Institute of Science and Technology buildings, and about 20 trees were reported down, Stevens said. IN ADDITION, A portion of aluminum siding was ripped off a tem- porary office located behind the IST building, and a tree fell on the utility shedservicing Nichols Arboretum. A University spokesman estimated Tuesday's storm damage costs to be $150,000 to $200,000. The spokesman said the federal emergency aid refusal may mean the University will have to absorb any storm-related damage costs not covered by insurance. ' DETROIT EDISON CO. spokesman Fred- Sullivan said 6;500 Ann. Arbor customers lost power Tuesday when 10- 12 transformers exploded. Edison reported 250 local customers still without power last night but indicated all power should be restored by this morning. Faced with the aftermath of the July 16 storm, Mayor Louis Belcher declared a local state of emergency last week and petitioned Governor William Milliken to apply for federal emergency assistance. "I deem this disaster to be beyond the Dmil Photo by JIM KRU control of this political subdivision," UNIVERSITY WORKERS REPAIR the roof of the Art and Architecture Belcher said in a written appeal to the building on North Campus yesterday. The problem was caused by Tuesday's governor, violent thunderstorm. Damage on campus could cost up to $200,000 to repair, See CITY, Page 11 the University estimated. 'U' to appeal rulintg on GEO collective bargaining By MITCH STUART The University will appeal a July 14 ruling by an admin- istrative lay judge which granted collective bargaining rights to some graduate student assistants, President Harold Shapiro said yesterday. Graduate Employees Organization President Dave Kad- lecek and Treasurer John Yates met with Shapiro yesterday morning to discuss the ruling. At that time, Shapiro told them it would be appealed, Kadlecek said. ON JULY 14, Judge Shlomo Sperka of the Michigan Em- ployment Relations Commission (MERC) ruled graduate students who are teaching assistants or staff assistants are employees of the University, and thus are entitled to bargaining collectively. The judge also ruled, however, that research assistants are not employees. Sperka's -ruling would force the University to bargain with GEO over contract terms at GEO's request. Kadlecek said GEO would request that bargaining begin immediately if the planned appeal is settled in GEO's favor. If no exceptions are filed within 20 days after the ruling is received by both parties, it automatically becomes the of- ficial ruling of MERC. ACCORDING TO SHAPIRO, the University Regents decided three years ago to follow through with the GEO case by filinWan.e'teptionwith.MERC iLnecessary., He said the ~ Regents have been consulted informally about the ruling and "none have changed their position." Kadlecek said he told Shapiro GEO members still feel strongly about collective bargaining, and will not buckle or fall apart under the presspre of an appeal. "Basically, GEO has shown in the past four years that we're going to stay around and we're not going to change our character ... so the University, by appealing or delaying a decision, isn't going to have GEO just disappear or change us into a different kind of organization they can deal with more easily," Kadlecek said. BUT SHAPIRO SAID the University is not appealing or delaying the case in an effort to weaken the GEO: "That's not an issue as far as I'm concerned." Kadlecek said of the GEO members he has talked to, most were upset that the University will take exception to the ruling, but were not extremely surprised. "It just confirmed their low opinion . . . of the University administration," he said. Kadlecek said as soon as the University files its exception, GEO will file a cross-exception which objects to the part of the ruling saying research assistants are not employees. Shapiro said he thinks the distinction made in the ruling between research assistants and other graduate student assistants is appropriate, and "a step in the right direction" for the University.