! seather night: Cloudy with rain 'ely, low 53% morrow: Cloudy with rain ely, high around 60%. 14 r One hundred five years of editori d freedom 1W Wednesday November 1, 1995 - -.140 !2m=" "" '''! lw!""- , , i -.Mb I TA union calls for workload, wage changes By Heather Miller Daily Staff Reporter Negotiations between the Graduate Employees Organization and the Uni- versity began at 6 p.m. yesterday on a new contract to replace the current three- year agreement, which expires Feb.1. Ten individuals from a 12-member negotiation team elected by GEO met with a University team including Dan Gamble, associate director of academic human resources, and Barbara Murphy, assistant to LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg. The two sides talked for 2 1/2 hours in the Michigan League. "We established a basis for mutual concern and trust," Julie Novkov, a memberoftheGEO OUr p bargaining team,d said after the nego- emlOfnlti tiations. "We have GEO' ci tentative agree- ments on a good set t of ground rules." GEO represents excellenc graduate student teaching assistants- and staffassistants. GEO bargain Yesterday also ra tir JOE N 30 :members rally in front of the Fleming Administration Building yesterday, yelling toward President James J. Duderstadt's office for more pay and respect. EO members ralyto show solidari Heather Miller posals," said GEO member Rachel "What affects TAs affects all under- She said that while "peop 'ly Staff Reporter Barish, an anthropology graduate stu- graduates," she said. ties really rely on teac Grasping red pencils in raised fists dent. "TAs have the same concerns we University's priorities are the Graduate Employees Organiza- Mark Rogers, an American culture do," she said, noting that GEO is asking the administration rather th n power salute - about 300 sup- graduate student, agreed: "I think we for limits in class sizes in its negotia- tion and education. rters rallied on the Diag yesterday need to show the University we are tions. During the speeches on emoon in support of the teaching committed to winning a decent con- "The victory of GEO is a victory for GEO members and suppo sistantsunion's contractnegotiations, tract and having them treat us with all of us," she said, out orange postcards statin hich began last night. respect." Julie Novkov, a member of GEO's supported GEO. The cards Supporterswavedsignsreading"The GEO President Scott Dexter began bargaining team and a student in the lected in a mail bag and niversity Works Because We Do" the rally by saying, "We're here to sup- political science Ph.D. program, said Duderstadt's office in the F d "12 percent good enough for port the negotiating team. the University does not pay enough ministration Building. uderstadt,goodenoughforme"while "Respect. It's aboutrespect," he said. attention to undergraduate education Supporters rallied with anting "GEO." "Today we demand that respect." and TAs. "Duderstadt hear us say wh "(The rally) is like a kickoff to show LSA senior Amy Carroll spoke at the "We are an important part of this is better pay" and "Tric e University that we're behind our rally, representing an undergraduate university," she said. "This university Trick or treat. Pay me no argaining team and bargaining pro- perspective on the contract negotiations. cannot run without us." See G WESTRATE/Daily no requirements for each department to have such a policy. The union wants to bring the num- ber of minority TAs in line with the demographics in the student body. "What we've seen happening is that minority TAs are under-represented," she said. "We think there's some dis- crimination going on here." Barish would like contracts written to include a provision for proving dis- crimination against TAs of color within the University or a specific department. GEO's fourth proposal concerns academic excellence. Barish said the University needs to improve training for TAs and limit class sizes. P sals The union is te calling for improve- ments in benefits, 0 waivers and fees. iI uuut u Currently, graduate students who work fewer than 10 hours ! a week do not re- ceive health ben- - Karen Miller efits. Barish said ng team chair GEO believes the University should co-pay health ben- efits for these TAs. GEO President Scott Dexter said the union also will negotiate for a new title ofGraduate Student Instructor because, he said, TAs do not simply assist, they teach. "Our proposals demonstrate GEO's commitment to academic excellence, and a recognition that graduate student teachers are worthy of respect for the work we do," said Karen Miller, chair of the GEO bargaining team. On the University side, Gamble said he is optimistic that the groups will reach an agreement by the contract's Feb. 1 expiration date. "Our goal is to have efficient, effective bargaining," he said before the session last night. After the negotiations, he said, "I thought it went splendid." ty marked a record day for the union, as it reached a 70 pe's priori- hing," the money and ian instruc- the Diag, rters filled g why they s were col- marched to leming Ad- chants like hat we want k or treat. w so I can EO, Page 2 percent membership rate among TAs, GEO organizer Tamara Joseph said. Rachel Barish, co-chair of GEO's grievance committee, said the union's platform, ratified in March, includes requests in five major contract areas: ® The GEO bargaining team wants to negotiate changes in wages and workload. GEO is asking for a pay increase because TAs are currently earning "4.4 percent less than the Uni- versity financial aid office says it costs to live in Ann Arbor," according to union figures. Barish also said it is not uncommon for a TA to work more hours than they are originally toldthey will have to cover. GEO would like a written hiring policy. Barish said currently there are Alinton wams of DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -On the eve of eace talks, a somber President Clinton arned the leaders of Bosnia, Serbia and roatia that their negotiations may be he last chance we have for a very long me" to end the deadliest conflict in urope since World War II. Delegations headed by Presidents lobodan Milosevic of Serbia, Franjo udjman of Croatia and Alija etbegovic of Bosnia were to arrive esterday evening for talks opening to- ay at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The leaders expressed cautious opti- ism. "It seems that after all those eace conferences we've had since 990, the world leaders have a joint osition," Tudjman said. Milosevic rged "a spirit of impartiality and ob- ctivity." "So much is riding on the success in ayton, and the whole world is watch- g," Clinton said at the White House in send-off for Secretary of State War- n Christopher and U.S. mediator Ri- hard Holbrooke. Holbrooke, author of a basic agree- ent on the division of Bosnian terri- ry and postwar power-sharing, spoke autiously about the chances for peace fter four years of war. "We have a very tough job ahead of s, we are not here to promise success ut only our best efforts," he said on his rrival at Wright-Patterson. Medical students'trick-or-treat' for canned goods for the poor By Alice Robinson medical student who helped organize For the Daily W wan th the event. Good-n-Plentys, Kit Kats and diced yams were among the items that showed up in last night's trick-or-treat bags. But the University medical students who received diced yams and other canned goods did not toss them out; they will be donated to Ann Arbor's Hope Clinic, which provides free health care and serves as a year-round food bank. More than 50 enthusiastic pre-med and medical students braved the chilly weather and hit the streets, collecting more than 2000 cans and reminding residents to think of those less fortu- nate. "(We wanted) to bring out awareness that there are a lot of people who do not have proper housing, a place to live, health care and food to eat," said Neil Vidwans, a medical student and partici- pant. Along with soliciting cans, the stu- dents distributed fliers thanking homeowners for their generosity and explaining that students were members community to know that U-M cares, and we want to abolish the idea that UsM is a cold place" - Houda Dagher Medical student of the American Medical Association. The innovative idea was originally proposed several weeks ago at a meet- ing of the Michigan State Medical So- ciety. "We had the plan a year ago, and about a month ago the idea spread to Wayne State University and Michigan State University. The Michigan State Medical Society decided to help us with the whole thing," said Houda Dagher, a "One of our aims was to raise aware- ness about the Hope Clinic, so people know that it's out there," said Steven Chen, a medical student who brought the idea to the University. The project stemmed from a leader- ship camp Chen attended, where par- ticipants were encouraged to take the idea back to their high schools. "I've been told schools across the country are doing it," he said. By going out into the community, participants wanted to dispel the myth that medical students are all books and no heart, Dagher said. She said people often view the University as uncon- cerned because it is so research-ori- ented. "We want the community to know that U-M cares, and we want to abolish the idea that U-M is a cold place," she said. "I feel like medical students get into the profession to help people, and this is something we can do to make a direct See CANS, Page 2 JOE WESTRATE/Daily University students C. J. Lee (right), Eric Huang (middle) and Pao Lin Chi collect cans for Ann Arbor's Hope Clinic. " . Detroit volunteers help to keep Devil's Night quiet DETROIT (AP) - Thousands of volunteers who hit the streets as the sun set apparently smothered Devil's Night, a Halloween Eve arson tradition that in some years has ended with hundreds of buildings torched. "Last year and the years before you first year as mayor, had failed last year carry to on the success of his predeces- sor, Coleman Young, in eliminating Devil's Night as a .contributor to Detroit's notoriety. "I think there was a lulling ... sort of believing we had the problem resolved," fined the youths. They were allowed to leave only when a parent or guardian picked them up. "Having the judges here is an imme- diate impact on the kids and on the parents," said Police Lt. Richard Shelby. Officials would not say how many Ann Arbor remained calm, quiet; lone fire-bombing called 'minor' By Jodi Cohen Daily Staff Reporter adding that the rain would act as a deterrent. I 1