Political
Science
Prof.
Andrei
Markovits
launched
his
new
book,
“Hillel
at
Michigan
1926/27-1945:
Struggles of Jewish Identity
in a Pivotal Era,” at the
University of Michigan Hillel
Building
Sunday,
the
day
before the organization’s 90th
anniversary.
Markovits,
the
2007
recipient of the University
Golden
Apple
Award
for
outstanding
teaching,
discussed how he came to
research Hillel — a community
center for Jewish students on
college campuses — in front of
an audience of about 25 people.
He said he initially planned on
just looking at the history of
Jews at the University, before
realizing how significant Hillel
was to campus.
“Very soon it became clear
that a chapter alone would not
suffice and that this institution
was
worthy
of
a
book,”
Markovits said.
Markovits
read
excerpts
from
his
new
book,
highlighting
particularly
noteworthy findings, including
the national Hillel’s founding
in 1923 Illinois by a Christian
minister who wanted Jews to
have a greater understanding
of their religion before making
its way to the University a few
Earlier
this
month,
employees of the People’s Food
Co-Op — a member-owned
Kerrytown grocery store —
secured the right to organize,
but the move was a relatively
long time coming.
During the spring of 2016,
grumblings of dissatisfaction
began
to
spread
among
employees.
Staff
had
recently
been
cut,
according
to
co-op
employee
Jason
Williams,
and the workload was being
disproportionately spread onto
those remaining with little
additional compensation.
Amid these new challenges,
the management purchased a
$600 sign for the store’s cafe,
which was more frustrating
for Williams than the lack of
compensation for additional
work.
“You’re telling people who
are making $10.50 an hour …
to take on another extra hour
of work that you have to do
in the same amount of time,
you’ve got to have some sort
of
compensation
for
that,”
Williams
said.
“And
we’re
not getting compensated for
that, but we’re spending what
is greater than my two-week
salary on a benign sign.”
More
importantly,
perceptions
have
grown
among employees that their
management
was
failing
to
address
their
concerns,
according to several interviews.
A number of these workers,
led by co-op worker Phillip
Bianco, quietly began pursuing
formal unionization through
the National Labor Relations
Board.
In collaboration with the
local chapter of the United
Food and Commercial Workers
International
Union,
the
small band of workers laid the
groundwork for an official
application
for
an
NLRB
election: If the majority of
PFC employees were to vote
in favor, they would be legally
recognized as a bargaining unit.
After months of planning,
around eight of the employees
appeared at the Co-op’s Nov.
16 board meeting to air their
grievances
and
announce
their NLRB election filing.
Immediately
afterward,
the
co-op board held an emergency
extended session behind closed
doors.
“There was definitely some
shock at the board meeting,”
said Ashley Secord, one of the
employees at the meeting who
spoke in favor of unionization.
Two days later, the co-op
contracted David Parmenter
and
Associates,
a
human
resources
consultancy
that
Saturday, Jill Stein, former
Green Party presidential nominee,
came to Detroit to discuss the
Michigan
Supreme
Court’s
decision to halt a state recount
of votes in the 2016 election to a
crowd of about 20 people.
“Do we have a voting system we
can trust?” she asked the crowd.
Stein’s recount initiative has
gained national attention and
support after raising over $7
million to conduct a recount
process in Michigan, Pennsylvania
and Wisconsin — three states
where
President-elect
Donald
Trump narrowly won. Though
former Democratic presidential
nominee Hillary Clinton did not
initiate the recount, her campaign
expressed support for the process.
All three states would have to be
flipped to Clinton for the overall
election outcome to change.
However,
the
Michigan
Supreme Court ended the recount
effort in Michigan last week after
complaints the recount would
waste taxpayer money, because
Stein came fourth in the state
and there was a slim chance of
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Monday, December 12, 2016
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVI, No. 45
©2016 The Michigan Daily
NEWS......................... 2A
OPINION.....................4A
CL A SSIFIEDS .............. 5A
SUDOKU..................... 2A
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 A
SPORTSMONDAY..........1B
See HILLEL, Page 3A
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at the Deltaplex for his Thank You Tour 2016 in Grand Rapids Friday.
GRAND
RAPIDS
—
This
weekend marked another stop
on
President-elect
Donald
Trump’s “USA Thank You Tour
2016” across the country. The
president-elect last stopped in
the city almost a month earlier
to the day, where he held the
final rally of his campaign at the
DeVos Place Convention Center.
That night he announced it
was the “beginning of a new
adventure, an adventure to make
America great again” — a month
into his tenure as president-
elect, an adventure is one way to
put the experience.
In many areas of Michigan,
the aftermath of the election
has been marked with hate
crimes and protests including
at the University of Michigan.
However, there have also been
displays of support, such as
during Trump’s visit.
Friday night at the Deltaplex
Arena in Grand Rapids — even
amidst
a
blizzard
outside
and reactions from the past
month — spirits were high and
red MAGA hats bountiful, as
supporters awaited the man
whom they expected to bring
change. Though the election
itself did not come down to the
See RECOUNT, Page 2A
CAROLYN GEARIG/Daily
People’s Food Co-op is located near the corner of North 4th Avenue and Catherine Street in Ann Arbor.
Stopped the bleeding
After a third straight
blowout loss Friday against
Wisconsin, the Michigan
hockey team recovered
to beat the Badgers, 4-1,
Saturday at Yost Ice Arena
» Page 1B
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
See CO-OP, Page 3A
See TRUMP, Page 3A
LSA
freshman
Sikander
“Sonny” Khan, a volunteer at
his local hospital, nursing home
and high school, was recently
named the state of Michigan’s
2016 Youth Volunteer of the
Year — though in an interview,
he said hates award ceremonies.
“I hate the process of them,”
he said. “I like seeing results
as opposed to just getting an
award.”
Khan received the Youth
Volunteer
award
at
the
Governor’s Service Awards, a
ceremony dedicated to honor
Michigan residents, programs
and businesses which have
gone above and beyond in their
goals of creating a lasting and
positive impact across the state
of Michigan, according to the
Michigan Community Service
Commission’s
website.
In
addition to the Service Award,
additional
honors
such
as
Corporate Community Leader
and Senior Volunteer of the
Year are also given out annually
at the awards ceremony.
Khan said he is appreciative
See VOLUNTEER, Page 3A
Prof. talks
new book on
Hillel at the
University
Trump embraces his election win
in Grand Rapids leg of victory tour
ADMINISTRATION
Andrei Markovits discusses history of
organization
DAVID DORSKY
For the Daily
President-elect talks Cabinet nominees, manufacturing jobs to excited crowd
EMMA KINERY
Daily News Editor
Stein rallies
over halted
Michigan
recount
GOVERNMENT
Green Party candidate
details concerns with
voting in the state
NISA KHAN
Daily Staff Reporter
People’s Food Co-Op employees push
to form a store union amid concerns
Staff at member-owned Kerrytown grocery store point to compensation
BRIAN KUANG
Daily Staff Reporter
‘U’ student
wins state
award for
volunteering
CAMPUS LIFE
Freshman wins 2016
Governor’s Service
Award
NEIL SCHWARTZ
Daily Staff Reporter