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INDEX
Vol. CXXIX, No. 130
©2020 The Michigan Daily
N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
M I C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1
STATEMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
SPORTS .......................17
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As resident advisers prepare to strike
in protest of the University of Michigan’s
response to COVID-19, some members of
Residential Staff say the pandemic has
forced long-time issues between University
Housing and the student staff into the open.
ResStaff, or the students who work for
University Housing, are calling for stronger
communication and increased COVID-19
protections. Several ResStaff workers told
The Daily they have privately complained
for years about a disconnect between
University Housing and the students who
work for them, but say the pandemic has
made the situation even more urgent.
RAs are calling to attention the disconnect
between University Housing, which makes
policy regarding COVID-19, and members of
ResStaff, who implement it.
RAs’ contract includes a clause stating
they are not allowed to publicly disagree
with University Housing policies. Because
of this, two current RAs and a student who
quit the position from COVID-19 concerns
have requested to remain anonymous for
fear of retaliation from the University. They
will be referred to as Olivia, Emily and
Noah, respectively.
Personal Protective Equipment and
Enforcement
Custodians have been working since
early July to prepare rooms for students,
Daniel Henne, director of communications,
marketing and design for Student Life,
wrote in an email to The Daily. Custodial
staff clean the bathrooms two times a day
and ensure hand sanitizer and disinfectant
wipes are readily available, Henne said.
But many RAs said that these protective
measures were not enough for buildings
filled with new students from different
states, including some COVID-19 hotspots.
They pointed to Cornell University, where
RAs asked for plexiglass dividers between
sinks and additional sanitation near heavily
congested areas, like elevators.
University Housing said they would not
put up plexiglass dividers between sinks,
stating the decision was consistent with
other campus buildings. Amir Baghdadchi,
Senior Associate Director of Michigan
Housing, said the University has taken other
precautionary measures, like placing social
distancing signs in bathrooms and installing
paper towel dispensers throughout campus.
FRANCESCA DUONG
Daily Staff Reporter
Long-time issues between ‘U’ and
RAs come to light with pandemic
Problems between student staff and University Housing at forefront amid
concerns about administration COVID-19 response, lack of protective equipment
MADELINE HINKLEY / DAILY | DESIGN BY JACK SILBERMAN
GRADUATE
STUDENTS
PICKET
ADMINISTRATION
Speaking from the steps of the Michigan
Union Friday afternoon, graduate student
instructor Chris Campbell called on
University of Michigan administrators to
“do the right thing, probably for the first
time.”
“Stop talking about the law and the
cops, stop talking about listening to us,”
Campbell said. “Listen to us about what
it takes for a safe and just response to a
pandemic and to policing on this campus.”
Five days into the graduate students’
strike and amid other labor actions on
campus, Campbell was one of hundreds
of
University
students,
faculty
and
staff who spoke out Friday against the
administration’s response to COVID-
19. Various open letters, speak-outs and
protests occurred throughout the day,
in-person and online.
The Graduate Employees’ Organization
went on strike Monday, demanding more
COVID-19 protections and a reduction in
policing on campus.
DOMINIC COLETTI & VARSHA VEDAPUDI
Daily Staff Reporters
SCHLISSEL
RESORTS
TO COURT
LEGAL
A day after the Graduate Employees’
Organization voted to extend its strike,
University of Michigan President Mark
Schlissel is seeking an injunction to get
graduate students off the picket lines and
back to teaching.
Schlissel is asking Washtenaw County
Circuit Court to require GEO members
to return to work by issuing a temporary
restraining
order
and
a
preliminary
injunction. In a video released Monday
afternoon, he described the request as a
necessary step.
“Following the announcement that GEO
will continue to strike and not teach for at
least five more days, I made the very difficult
decision to seek help from the courts so we
can resume all of our remote and in-person
classes,” Schlissel said in the video. “We
welcome the opportunity to discuss the
issues that GEO has raised. The University’s
offer to continue talks remains open.
What we cannot welcome is the profound
disruption to the education we’ve promised
our undergraduate students.”
See COURT, Page 3
LEAH GRAHAM, BARBARA COLLINS,
EMMA STEIN & LIAT WEINSTEIN
Managing News Editor & Daily News Editors
ALLISON ENGKVIST/DAILY
Members of the graduate employee organization strike due to the university’s pandemic response outside of the biological sciences.
MADELINE HINKLEY/DAILY
Students show support for the GEO strike due to the university’s pandemic response outside of the union friday evening.
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
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