Page 4-Saturday, May 9, 1981-The Michigan Daily
'U' employees
ratify contract
In Brief
Compiled from Associated Press and
United Presss International reports
By JOHN ADAM
University service and maintenance
employees overwhelmingly ratified a
25-month contract proposed by local
union leaders and the University ad-
ministration late yesterday afternoon.
Members of the American
Federation of State, County, and
Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
voted about 78 percent in favor of a con-
tract which guarantees a 7 percent an-
nual increase in wages.
"WE THINK it's a pretty good
agreement given the current economic
conditions,'1 said Dwight Newman,
president ofthe local AFSCME union.
The vote came out about as expected,
Newman said. Considering the finan-
cial problems of the University and the
state, the AFSCME president said he is
"pretty happy about the outcome."
In addition to wage increases, the
2,100 University employees represented
by the union will receive a prescription
program that will reimburse members
for many of their prescriptive drug
purchases.
"The total package comes to about 16
percent over two years," Newman said.
Currently with the new contract a
lowest pay grade employee receives
$5.44 per hour while the highest paid
employee gets $8.95 an hour.
A little over half of the members par-
ticipated in the voting yesterday. The
union had been working under an ex-
tended contract since the original one
expired April21.
'U' researeh budget
faces federal cuts
(Continued from Page 3)
"Far more social science research is
done here than elsewhere," said
Heebink,' noting that social science
research, along with appropriations for
the arts and humanities, is scheduled to
take the biggest cut.
The amount of funding the University
will receive in the next fiscal year for
research - one of the most prestitious
areas of the University - hinges on a
series of future budgetary decisions
which Congress and federal agencies
are expected to make this summer.
Under the Reagan budget, passed
Thursday by the House, congressional
authorization and appropriation com-
mittees have been directed to make
program-by-program cuts in keeping
with supposedly mandatory ap-
propr'iation levels set by the Reagan
budget. Legislators will have some
leeway in appropriating money to
specific programs within their commit-
tee's jurisdictions, but both the full
House and Senate must approve the
program-by-program cuts.
THE FEDERAL MONEY the
University will get for research hinges
on the amount of money appropriated
to federal agencies. This, in turn,
depends on the amount of funding
federal agencies decide to grant to
University research after certain agen-
cies have been financially boosted or
trimmed.
According to University researchers
working closely with federal agencies,
it appears that the agencies will hold
closely to the priorities established by
the Reagan administration. The agency
heads have explained their reluctance
to oppose Reagn by saying " 'We've
been ordered not to oppose Reagan's
budget. If we speak out too much our
careers would be in jeopardy,',,
Wessel said.
The University may avoid some
federal research grant cuts, however,
because of its excellent research
reputation, 'U' officials say. "It doesn't
do any harm to have a good
reputation," said Wessel, who noted
that because of the Univeirsity's good
reputation it "will be better able to
compete" in the scramble for grants fro
private foundations.
Wessel said the Institute will keep
"hanging on" by "going back to private
foundations for funding." He added that
researchers may have to bid for projec-
ts they have previously been less in-
terested in specific commerical
research that agencies and cor-
porations need done for them - to
make up for the grants researchers
would otherwise receive for projects
they've designed themselves.
Syria refuses to withdraw
surface-to-air missiles
BEIRUT, Lebanon-Syria declared yesterday it will not withdraw the sur-
face-to-air missiles that Israel demands be pulled out of Lebanon. Heavy
fighting broke out in Beirut as President Reagan's Middle East
troubleshooter tried to ease the crisis.
The Syrian Defense Ministry in Damascus said, "Air defenses, including
missiles, are part of Syria's armed forces. They exist now and so they will in
future, anywhere Syrian troops are, to be ready for use whenever the need
arises."
President Reagan's Mideast envoy, Philip Habib, held talks with
Lebanese leaders yesterday in an effort to defuse the crisis, and the Soviet
Union's first deputy foreign minister, Georgy Kornienko, wound up three
days of talks with Syrian leaders in Damascus.
The official Soviet news agency Tass called Kornienko's talks "useful,"
without giving details of the discussions, and Soviet television criticized the
Habib mission, saying the U.S. envoy was "defending American interests in
the region."
Senate cuts federal benefits
WASHINGTON-The Senate voted yesterday to endorse a $7.9 billion cut
in cost-of-living increases next year for 44 million people getting Social
Security and other government retirement benefits.
The narrow decision came as the Republican-controlled Senate resumed
drafting its own version of a 192 budget blueprint one day after President
Reagan's remarkable victory in the House.
The $699.1 billion Senate proposal-like the House-passed plan-is tailor-
made for the deep cuts in taxes asnd spending that form the nucleus of
Reagan's economic recovery program.
The payments go to recipients of Social Security, Supplemental Security
Income, veterans, Civil Service, military and Railroad Retirement benefits.
Senate considers bill
to protect U.S. spies
WASHINGTON-CIA Director William Casey said yesterday that a bill to
jail anyone who publicly identifies a U.S. spy is needed to rescue American
intelligence agencies from serious harm.
He testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee which is considering
a bill to impose jail terms of up to 10 years for someone with access to
classified information who discloses the name of an agent.
Similar legislation failed to reach a Senate floor vote last year as opponen-
ts contended it was unconstitutional and could stifle legitimate news repor-
ting of intelligence activities.
The bill is aimed in part at a publication called Covert Action Information
Bulletin, which repeatedly has published the names of alleged American
agents.
The Justice Department testified that the current proposal, sponsored by
Sen. John H. Chafee (R-R.I.) is constitutional.
FCC approves increase
for interstate phone calls
WASHINGTON-As expected, the Federal Communications Commission
gave final approval Friday to a 16 percent rate increase for interstate phone
calls and a 35 percent rate reduction for international calls, effective May 14.
Yesterday's decision will let AT&T implement both rate changes at 12:01
a.m. Thursday, the same time at which it has already announced the im-
plementation of several major increases for various business telephone ser-
vices.
AT&T's rates for so-called private line service will jump 35 percent next
Thursday, while rates for Wide Area Telecommunications Service (WATS)
lines will climb 16 percent. Private line service, used by large companies
and the federal government, involves the leasing of dedicated lines to con-
nect offices or plants in different states.
According to AT&T, the private line and WATS rate hikes will generate
more than $830 million in new annual revenue. The 16 percent boost in inter-
state rates will produce an estimated $800 million in new annual revenues,
while the 35 percent decline in international rates will cost AT&T about $425
million a year.
Dole proposes alternate
food stamp legislation
WASHINGTON-Sen. Robert Dole (R-Kan.) warned yesterday that
Reagan administration cuts in social programs might qualify more
Americans for food stamps so it would be a mistake to place a ceiling on total
food stamp spending.
Dole suggested what he called a "loose-fitting cap" as a compromise to
head off an administration proposal to enact into law specific caps on spen-
ding through fiscal 1985.
Recyclers sponsor
awareness
By MICHAL HERSHKOVITZ
Around Liberty Plaza in downtown
Ann Arbor, "Reduce, reuse, and
recycle" has been the popular slogan
since May 3, when Recycling Week was
launched.
Coordinated by the group Recycle
Ann Arbor, the past week has been
marked by daily presentations, a
square dance, and a fund drive to help
RAA expand its activities and services.
RAA SPONSORED THE week-long
activities in Liberty Plaza to raise con-
sumer consciousness to the problem of
removing recyclable products from the
week
steady flow of "disposable" waste,
members said.
"People are realizing that we can't
have the waste that we've had in the
past," says commercial division coor-
dinator Kerry Sandford, "and people
are open to changes."
Recycle Ann Arbor performs cur-
bside pickup for the city's residential
and commercial districts. The group
says the community is responsive, but,
according to Sandford, much untapped
potential remains for increasing the
community's recycling of paper, alum-
ninum, tin, and glass products.