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Ninety- nine years of editorial freedom
Vol. XCIX, NO. 9-S Ann Arbor, Michigan - Friday, July 21, 1989 Th.Tigt Day
Nurses picket
'U' Hospitals
BY WENDY WORTHEN
At 6 am Wednesday, the 1,700
member University of Michigan
Professional Nurse Council began a
strike against the University of
Michigan Hospitals. All Registered
Nurses in non-supervisory positions
at UMH are members of UMPNC,
which is a local bargaining unit of
the Michigan Nurses Association.
The UMPNC's employment con-
tract with UMH administration ex-
pired at midnight on May 30th, but
was renewed on a week-to-week ba-
sis until July 7th, when the union
formally notified the hospitals of its
intention to let the contract lapse at
midnight July 18th. Negotiating
teams from both sides have been
meeting since March 29th, and a
state-appointed mediator was enlisted
in the talks on June 2nd.
Bargaining teams met in Detroit
yesterday, and although neither side
would discuss details of the present
negotiations, Senior Associate
Director of UMH, Ellen Marszalek-
Goucher identified the main issues as
problems in "staffing, scheduling,
and economics."
"The big thing is patient safety,"
said strike participant Anne
Flanagan, RN. "Because of the acu-
ity of patient care at the University
Hospital, a lot of people are finding
that they just can't handle hospital
nursing here... there just aren't
enough nurses to go around," said
Flanagan.
"The nurses here are concerned
that if this hospital continues to be
understaffed and mandatory overtime
is not reduced, the quality of medical
care will suffer," said Mike
Kirkpatrick of the MNA. "Money
isn't the biggest issue."
The state of Michigan has the
fourth highest pay rate in the coun-
try for nurses, according to hospital
administrators.
Other nurses on the picket lines
agreed with Kirkpatrick, saying that
the high staff turnover rate at the
University Hospitals shows that
See Strike, Page 2
Striking nurses at the University Hospitals picket outside the Medical Center. The nurses are
protesting understaffing and overwork.
Military fires on student protesters
BY PAM NADASEN wounded did not receive medical aid. Many of university, and the occupation of the campus democracy."
SAN SALVADOR -The Salvadoran military the wounded refused medical attention by the military. About 80,000 colones or $16,000 worth
opened fire on students at the University of El because, in the past, persons in political The government has a long history of of damage was caused by the military attack.
Salvador who were protesting the opposition to the military have been seized violence against the University of El Both Nadasen and Vazquez are visiting El
incarceration of Renee Cruz, secretary general from the hospitals. Salvador. On July 28, 1975 in what came to Salvador through the sponsorship of MSA.
of AGEUS, the primary student organization One North American student, a member of be known as "El Salvador's Kent State", 18 Two years ago MSA and the University of
at the University of El Salvador, Monday. the Committee in Solidarity with the People students were killed, 100 injured, and 100 El Salvador, San Salvador started a sister-
Approximately 500 students gathered on of El Salvador, had his leg broken as students more captured when students protested the school relationship. Students at the
campus to protest the capture of Cruz and the fled the military attack. failure of land reform. On June 26, 1980, the University have raised money and supplies for
military's illegal encirclement of the Embassy officials would not let the North military invaded the campus and rounded up the University of El Salvador, and officials of
university. 250 students then marched outside American student hold a press conference on and shot many students. Last September the the San Salvador campus have participated in
the university and were met by soldiers with the military siege at the university. They also military shot at students marching in protest teach-ins here on campus.
M16s, bazookas, grenades, and tracer bullets. tried to silence condemnation of the attack, of tuition increases in Santa Ana and San "This is not a pleasure trip that we're
Soldiers first fired at the ground, and then saying that no North Americans were Salvador. going on. The students who are going are
opened fire directly on the students. They then wounded. The Bush administration supports the putting themselves in danger so that the
entered university grounds in pursuit of the The injured North American student has ARENA government, which has ties to the University community can have some eye-
student protesters, violating the university's since been sent out of El Salvador, and is military, and receives $1.5 million a day in witness accounts and some pertinent infor-
constitutional autonomy. now en route to the United States. military and economic aid from the United mation about the situation in El Salvador,"
There was continuous firing on the Since Alfredo Cristiani of the ARENA States. said Vazquez.
campus by the military from 6:30 to 8:30 party took power in June, 50 people affiliated Luiz Vazquez, a Michigan Student While Vazquez is in El Salvador he will
pm. The shooting continued sporadically with the university have been captured. In the Assembly graduate student representative who do a live interview over WCBN FM-88.3.
until 9 pm. past two weeks approximately 14 people have is going to El Salvador Saturday, said, "It is The interview will be broadcast during the "El
For the first hour and a half of the attack, been arrested. very contradictory of the Bush administration Mundo Latino" program, Thursday July 27th
the army would not let the Red Cross or The president of the university and to give military support to the Salvadoran between 6 and 7 pm.
Green Cross into the university to assist the AGEUS have called a march for this morning government, especially in light of the recent
wounded. from the university to the Salvadoran shooting of students and dissenters in Beijing.
Twenty-two students are known to have Supreme Court to protest the brutal military The students in El Salvador also want Liz Paige and Mike Fisher contributed to
reneive medical attentionn thnngh manv more attack, arctc of nenn1e ,ffiliwPA ath the freedom in their countrv and a real this .torv.