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.