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See OPINION
Page 4.

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TODAY
Sun, some clouds;
High: 59, Low: 38.
TOMORROW
Sun, then clouds;
High: 64, Low: 42.

Since 1890
Vol. CI, No. 135 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Wednesday, April 17, 1991 , c l99l
p The Michian Daily
GEO approves threeday strike
'U'will TAs conside
call roll
extension of
for TA
strikers Strike to all
by Henry Goldblatt by Stefanie Vines members. Three-hundred and five
Daily Staff Reporter Daily Faculty Reporter TAs voted in favor of the work
When the Graduate Employees The strike is on. stoppage, while 171 opposed it.
Organization begins its three-day Members of the Graduate The work stoppage was not offi-
work stoppage today, the Employees Organization (GEO) ap- cially passed until last night be-
University wants to know exactly proved a three-day work stoppage cause the steering committee
which TAs skip class. for today through Friday at the wanted to garner the full support of
University administrators membership meeting last night. the membership following the
drafted a letter to GEO members In addition to this week's work University latest contract package,
Monday night requiring them to stoppage, members discussed ex- said GEO president Chris Roberson,
report participation in the work tending the strike to the fall, but no GEO spokesperson Alan Zundel
stoppage. TAs are required to re- official plans were made. said the University's package in-
turn the form by noon next TAs will hold off-campus cludes-
Monday. classes at the Lord of Light Church *4.5 percent salary increase
The memo states a failure to re- on S. Forest or elect to cancel class. over the next two years,
port to work today through Friday In addition, they will picket at vari- guarantee of third party arbi-
will result in a 1.5 percent reduc- ous campus buildings today through tration in contract dispute provided
tion in salary for each day of the rdy.TAs report grievances directly to
work stoppage as well as a 1.5 per- The work stoppage, which was their department
cent reduction in tuition waivers. SUZIE PALEY/Daily authorized by the steering commit- U reimbursement for summer
University administrators said GEO president Chris Roberson and union negotiator Alan Zundel explain the current bargaining situation to 240 tee Monday night, was voted on last health benefits for TAs who are re-
See ROLL,Page 2 members of the Graduate Employees Organization at last night's assembly meeting week by 476 of the 1050 union's SeeGEO,Page 2

CUNY
* by Melissa Peerless
Daily Higher Education Reporter
For the 10th straight day, stu-
dents protesting proposed tuition
increases are occupying buildings
and blocking classes on 11 campuses
in the City University of New York
(CUNY) system.
The hikes - proposed by New
York Gov. Mario Cuomo - would
raise tuition rates 67 percent and
currently are being considered by
the state legislature.
"The process is not complete,"
said Karen Polk, a spokesperson for
Cuomo. "We won't know if the
cuts will actually happen until the
legislature decides.
"Governor Cuomo has always
been opposed to increases in tuition.
He has always supported education.
However, this year, we are facing a
potential $ 6.5 billion deficit. We
don't have any choices," she added.
The students feel that the

students protest

proposed tuition

hike

proposed increases will defeat the
purpose of the CUNY system.
Ricardo Pons, President of the
Day Student Government of the
City College campus in Manhattan,
said, "CUNY was started as a place
where high school graduates from
low-income families in New York
City who wanted an education could
come to learn. Originally the tu-
ition was free. Eventually, of
course, they had to start charging tu-
ition. However, it was always low
enough that almost anyone could af-
ford it."
Pons said scholarships are of-
fered to students who can't afford
the tuition.
Cuomo's budget proposal also
threatens to cut these scholarships.
In addition, it proposes program
cuts and faculty layoffs.
Mario Rodriguez, takeover coor-
dinator at Hostos Community
College, said, "We, the students,

have a simple list of very reasonable
demands."
The demands include:
the immediate resignation of
CUNY Chancellor W. Ann
Reynolds, who has threatened disci-

Dinkins sent an April 9 letter to
Governor Cuomo on behalf of the
students.
The letter reads, "CUNY plays a
vital role in the future of New
York City and the proposed state

'We don't want to go about this protesting the
wrong way. We'd rather not miss or prevent
our classes, but we feel it's our only option'
- Robert Lizardo
president, Lehman College Student Government

fort to continue attending their day
to day classes."
Robert Lizardo, president of The
Bronx's Lehman College's student
government, said, "We don't want
to go about this protesting the
wrong way. We'd rather not miss or
prevent our classes, but we feel it's
our only option. It's either have the
students miss classes for a few days
now or have 2,430 sections be can-
celled and 100,000 students be de-
prived of an education altogether
when Governor Cuomo's proposal
passes."
In addition to Mayor Dinkins,
the Legislative Black and Puerto
Rican Caucus of the New York
State Legislature has met with stu-
dents and backed their protest.
"We support equal opportunity
for education so we are behind these
students, no matter how severe their
actions have to become," said Onix
Albert Sosa, executive director of

the caucus.
The student occupation began
April 8 at 5 a.m., when students at
CUNY's City College Campus
seized the North Academic Center.
Because the building holds 80 per-
cent of the campus' classes, its clo-
sure effectively stopped all classes.
Following the example of the
City College campus, students at
the following CUNY schools have
also been chaining themselves to and
barricading themselves inside class-
room buildings: Lehman College,
Hunter College (Manhattan),
Borough of Manhattan Community
College, Brooklyn College, Medgar
Evers College (Brooklyn),
Kingsborough College (Queens),
New York City Technical College
(Brooklyn), Fiorello LaGuardia
Community College (Queens),
Bronx Community College, and
Hostos Community College (The
Bronx).

plinary action against the protesting
students;
* no $500 tuition increase;
no $92 million budget cut to
higher education, and;
no layoffs of more than 800
faculty and staff members.
The protesting students have re-
ceived support from several New
York politicians and government
agencies.
New York City Mayor David


budget cuts should not place its tra-
dition of equal access and opportu-
nity in jeopardy."
Annabel Rancezchini, a
spokesperson for Mayor Dinkins,
said, "Mayor Dinkins is all for the
students. However, he is a bit con-
cerned about the way they are
protesting. He doesn't feel that they
should be interrupting the education
that they are fighting for. He feels
that they should be making every ef-



Assembly delays
vote to dismantle
five commissions

A2

calls

by Julie Foster
Daily MSA Reporter
Proposals to abolish five
Michigan Student Assembly com-
missions and to implement auto-
matic group recognition were tabled
last night because they have not re-
ceived approval of the Rules and
Elections Committee.
The sponsors. proposed to make
the changes first to MSA's com-
piled code, making the commissions
non-functional. In order to perma-
nently change the student govern-
ment constitution, the proposals
would be subject to a student refer-
endum in MSA's fall elections.
Until the students ratify changes
to the constitution, the abolition of
the commissions and automatic
recognition would not be official.
However, section 10.50 of the
compiled code states that any
amendments to the code or constitu-
tion must be approved by the Rules

and Elections Committee prior to
assembly approval. The Committee
must also assist in the writing of
the amendments.
Former Rules . and Elections
Committee Chair Jonathan Uy, now
a member of the assembly, said he
approved the amendments and ar-
gued to move them forward for
MSA approval.
But Rackham Rep. Jeff Hinte
said that since Uy hadn't been for-
mally elected Chair for fall term,
the amendments cannot be voted on
until the new chair reviews them.
The assembly voted to table the
amendments until next week.
Later in the meeting, LSA Rep.
Greg Morrison was elected the new
Rules and Elections Chair.
Morrison said he will hold a com-
mittee meeting this week to debate
the abolishments.
The commissions proposed to be
See COMMISSIONS, Page 2

lesbian
couple a
family,
by Lynne Cohn
Daily City Reporter
Heterosexual couples are no
longer the only ones who will be
recognized as legitimate families in
Ann Arbor.
After almost two years of chal-
lenging city personnel policies, city
employees Chris McCown and
Jayne Miller won legitimate family
status. The lesbian couple exchanged
wedding rings in 1987.
"It definitely sets a precedent,"
Miller said. "It is very rare that a
government grants the kinds of
rights we got."
McCown and Miller were pro-
hibited from working together un-
der a city nepotism policy restrict-
ing family members from being in
"supervisory-subordinate roles,"
yet they did not receive any family
benefits.
"We couldn't let the city decide
when to validate our relationship,"
McCown said. "We were willing to

ANTHONY M. CROLL/Uaily
out on a limb
Randy Baher and Jean Greg string a cable between trees outside Lorch Hall to hold together an eight foot split.



MSA will cut only

'political' ties with sister universities
'. . fa " " -- - ^ f^- "~

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S by Jav~ Garcee"ntiihaitrsso sosbltyo tdntgop.W

ships were "not in the interests of

sponsibility of student groups. We

disputed Cosnowskis logic. "Other

being acnted an education,' vavis