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August 10, 1984 - Image 3

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Michigan Daily, 1984-08-10

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The Michigan Daily - Friday, August 10, 1984 - Page 3
AFSCME solicits support in rally

By PETE WILLIAMS
About 50 members of the University's
Local 1583 employees union carried
signs that call for higher wages and
better work ben fits as they marched in
a circle in front of University Hospital
yesterday afternoon.
Local 1583 is part of the American
Federation of State, County, and
Municipal Employees. AFSCME is
currently at the bargaining table with
the University trying to reach
agreement on contracts for the coming
year.
LOCAL AFSCME president Dwight
Newman said yesterday's rally was
organized to give rank-and-file union
members a chance to feel involved with
the ongoing negotiations.
"I think (yesterday's action) helped
substantially," Newman said. "It gave
the union members a chance to show
some support for their local bargaining
team."
Bargaining Chairman Arthur Ander-
son was also pleased with the turnout,
though AFSCME represents 2,200 em--
ployees of the University.
"IT'S GOOD that we are seeing
people who are interested in what we
are doing," Anderson said.
AFSCME International Area Direc-

tor Jim Jarmer was one of the guest
speakers who addressed the crowd
through a portable public address unit.
"We are part of a union that is sit-
ting on a three-quarter of a million
dollar strike fund and if the University
wants a fight, then O.K.," Jarmer told
the cheering group.
ALTHOUGH NEWMAN would not
release the exact wage demands, he did
say that the negotiators will be asking
for increases as well as better sick
benefits for AFSCME.
"We're looking for some fairness and
some equity for all workers," he said.
Carl Levine, who works in the
Children's Psychiatric Hospital, said he
was disappointed with the University's
negotiation efforts.
"WHAT THEY are telling us is that
we are the bottom of the barrell - that
we're not worth much," Levine said.
"Last time, the University told us that
they had the money to pay for our in-
creases, but that they weren't going to
because we aren't a priority."
Levine said that as a union steward
he filed about 200 grievances for em-
ployees against the University. He also
said that many times supervisors will
try "to deny people stewards" and set-
tle grievances without contacting the

A hospital employee displays her list of demands at a union Solidarity rally
in front of University Hospital yesterday.
union. "That's a violation of the law been through 13 negotiation sessions
and our contract," he said. thus far. According to Newman, the
"What most people don't realize is union has submitted its total package of
that the University of Michigan is one of contract demands and is now waiting
the most notorious union busters for a response from the University.
around," Lavine said. Negotiations are scheduled to resume
AFSCME and the University have on Monday. -

Polish opposition leader freed
WARSAW (AP) - Jacek Kuron, the most prominent op- his Warsaw apartment about two hours after being released
position intellectual jailed during the December 1981 crack- from Warsaw's main prison.
down on Solidarity, was released from prison yesterday and "When somebody is released after almost three years and
quickly spoke out against the general amnesty that freed begins to speak on the political situation, it's a bit irrespon-
him. sible. At first I have to see what kind of country I am living
The 50-year-old Kuron, charged with trying to overthrow in."
the Communist system, said the amnesty denied him the Kuron called the general amnesty "a continuation of all
chance to prove his innocence in court, and said he had been those acts of lawlessness" against him and the three other
unjustly and illegally imprisoned for 31 months. KOR leaders who were also jailed. Two of the four have been
HE SAID HE planned to meet with Solidarity founder Lech released under the amnesty. The fourth, Henryk Wujec,
Walesa, who hailed Kuron's release and agreed a meeting remains in prison.
would be "in the interest of the union and of the country." The KOR leaders were charged with plotting to overthrow
"Kuron is a great, wise man who will help us find ways to Poland's Communist system by force. Their trial, which
achieve our goals," Walesa said by telephone from Gdansk. Kuron and Adam Michnik demanded and the government
"Time will show what role he will play, but I'm sure that it sought to avoid, was adjourned last month after two sessions,
will be a constructive one." three days before the amnesty was proclaimed.
Kuron, leader of the disbanded workers' rights group KOR
- the Committee for Social Self Defense - said he could not KURON TOLD reporters he was disappointed he did not
immediately comment on Poland's political situation. have the chance to read his testimony, in which he was
"I CANNOT make any political judgments because the prepared to offer his own indictment of Poland's Communist
only perspective I have is from prison," he told reporters in leadership.

Kuron
... attacks amnesty plan

GOP platform writers vow to have tax freeze plank

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican platform
writers said yesterday they would chisel President"
Reagan's vow not to raise taxes into the party's 1984
document, but party conservatives suggested they
might fight for a stronger, "ironclad" no-tax-hike
plank.
"President Reagan is ours. We want a platform he
feels comfortable with," said Rep. Trent Lott (R-
Miss.) chairman of the 106-member Republican
Platform Committee.
PARTY moderates, including Senate Finance
Committee Chairman Robert Dole of Kansas, have
argued against inclusion of a rigid no-tax-increase
plank in the platform.
But Lott told a news conference that the platform
section on taxes, whi~h-he said is still being polished,
would contain "definite, categorical no-tax language
... It's going to be clear that Democratic presidential
nominee Walter Mondale wants tax increases and we
don't. "
Mondale has said a tax hike will be necessary in
1985 regardless of who wins the election. He has
charged that Reagan has a "secret plan" to raise
taxes. Reagan denies that such a plan exists and says

he will veto any bill raising personal income tax
rates.
THE DRAFT platform language, according to
participants in the drafting process, states that, as
Republicans, "we oppose any attempt to raise taxes
which would harm the recovery and retard economic
growth."
The proposed plant would not limit the no-tax-
increase philosophy to individual income taxes. And
it adds that the best way to reduce federal deficits is
to further reduce spending.
At a rival news conference, a band of House
Republican conservatives said the platform language
may not be tough enough and that they might fight for
a more restrictive plank.
"WE WILL focus our efforts on making sure the
Republican platform has an ironclad plank against a
tax increase," said Rep. Vin Weber of Minnesota.
"We think we have an excellent chance within the
platform committee to win that fight."
Lott, however, said he did not anticipate a floor
fight over the tax issue and said that further changes
in the no-tax-increase plank to make it even stronger
were still a possibility. "It's an area where we

continue to work," Lott said.
The Platform Committee meets next week in
Dallas to put the finishing touches on the document
for presentation to convention delegates on Aug. 21.
MEANWHILE, a group of moderate and liberal
Republican senators, led by Sen. Lowell Weicker
(R-Conn.) yesterday issued proposed additions to the
platform - ranging from a statement that "tax
increases may be necessary" to planks opposing
government-sanctioned school prayer, calling for a
"mutual, verifiable" nuclear weapons freeeze and
urging ratification of a. new Equal Rights
Amendment.
The GOP senators - Weicker, Mark Andrews of
North Dakota, John Chafee of Rhode Island, Mark
Hatfield of Oregon, Charles Mathias of Maryland and
Robert Stafford of Vermont - held their own
unauthorized platform "hearing" last weekafter
claiming that their views had been shut out of the
platform-drafting proces.
Lott and other key platform drafters, in separate
interviews, said that like the 1980 GOP platform, this
year's document would omit any reference to the
ERA.

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