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ANN ARBOR, MI | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 | MICHIGANDAILY.COM

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INDEX
Vol. CXXIX, No. 130
©2020 The Michigan Daily

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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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