1990-09-26; Central Michigan Life

              WEATHER
ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT
ALL JAZZED UP
Interest in musical art form resurging
See Page 8
LOWER
70
MID
40
HIGH
S TODAY
LOW
Stonight
Central
Michigan
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Ex-Chippewa makes good in Europe
See Page 10
WEDNESDAY
September 26, 1990
Payday yields zilch to 500
Slow, backed up computers lead to lack of paychecks
by JOHN MULVANEY
l tl-t   Slot! Wlilel
Most people believe they
should get paid for their work —
and get paid on time.
But some of the 3.000 students
employed by CMU didn't receive
paychecks Thursday — their
fust paychecks of the year for
work done from Aug. 2(> through
Sept. 8.
Patricia Podoll, manager of
Student Kmployment. said about
500 students — or about 16
percent of all student employees
-   didn't get paid this week.
"I've been heie from 7:'.U) this
morning "til 4 this afternoon.
Taking an hour out for lunch,
I've only gotten about 10
students done today." she said.
The culprit  is the University's
new SCT software package.
The system's glitch is caused
by a combination of payroll's
original system and the new SCT
software system. Podoll said
The Accounting and Financial
Aid offices also art* on the new
system.
"We've been working
whenever the system is up. every
weekend since the Labor Day
weekend." Podoll said. "A normal
workday is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Still, we can only get about three
students in ithe computer
system > an hour.
"We're   backed   up  about   four
weeks "
Office personnel work
staggered shifts because the
system "locks up" if more than IK
people use it at one time, Podoll
said. Support staff personnel
receive either compensation time
or overtime pay for their long
hours.
Payroll is on the Student Aid
Management System as well as a
separate payroll system
In order for a student to get
paid, payroll personnel send
referrals through the Student
Aid Management System to the
department in which the student
works. A referral includes
student information such as
name and social security
number, she said.
The department fills in wage
rates and hours worked on the
referral and .sends it back to
payroll where it is put into the
payroll system. Then the
students can get paid
* It I've been here
-from   7:30   this
morning 'til 4 this
afternoon. Taking
an '" hour   out   for
£ lunch   I've   only
r gotten   about   10
^students    done
0°day.!I  v^tafc*'
yy:^y ; Patricio Podoll
'* * ifA8*"***"* Emptoymfrt
monoQor
Podoll said payroll personnel
have been hand-wriling referrals
instead of using the computer
system because it takes too much
time to get information from
SAMS.
See PAY Page 1 5
On Top Of The World
LIFE Photo Chris Birks.
Bob Grigg. left, and Ken Morford can see most of campus from  their place in the sky Tuesday as they weld roof pieces of the
Dow Science Complex in place.
President foregoes China due to bargaining
Because of pressing concerns
on campus. President Kdw.nd B.
• Jakubauskas cancelled his Oct ii
trip to China late la^-t week
The president, along with a
delegation of nine other university heads, planned to visit
educational institutions in
Beijing. Xi'an and Cuilin.
Put because of ongoing faculty
11 ego 11 at ions . .Jakubauskas
decided it was best to remain at
Central, said Kae Goldsmith,
director of Media Relations.
The American Association of
State Colleges and Universities,
which   organized   the   trip,   will
University's   $2,000
'  travel,  said   Golds-
rclund the
pa\ mem lu
milli
The puipuse of the I lip was lo
gain information about education in China and firing it hack to
share with the CMU community
in      the      form     of     speeches.
-Jakubauskas  said   in   an  earlier
interview.
Jakubauskas added that he
hoped to garner lecturers from
China to speak on CMU's
campus.
The president could not be
leached for comment.
University Dems hope to initiate voting, stop apathy
i Editor's note. CM LIFE
continuet. its weekly aeries on
upcoming local, a tut a a ml federal
elections tiiduy. The College
Republican a ivill be (he topic of a
future article.)
by MARY CHURCH
I ll-l: Sl<ift WrilOf
One person van make a difference.
This theory — commonly used
when urging citizens to get to the
polls and vote — is the same one
University Democrats use while
they work for upcoming
elections.
University Democrats, which
has about five core members, is
concentrating its efforts on the
state senator and representative
races rather than the gubernatorial race. University
Democrats President Mike
Thomson said.
, "1 think those two races are
really important for students
here," Thomson, Illinois senior,
said.
He said the elections for those
positions are important because
the winners will have an effect
on future state allocations CMU
receives.
The University Democrats are
helping Kurt Fisher,
D-Shepherd, run for the 99th
District State Representative
seat and Jo McLachlan, D-Evart,
campaign for the 35th District
State Senate seat.
"We're passing out fliers for
both campaigns," Thomson said.
He said University Democrats
are organizing events so both
politicians can speak to students
on CMU's campus.
In addition. Gov. James J.
Blanchard and U.S. Sen. Carl
I.evin, D-Mich . were invited to
participate in Homecoming
activities as well, Thomson said.
The group's members organized the "Youth, Labor and
Politics 1990" conference Sept. 15
in the Bovee University Center
for Democratic candidates.
See RACES Page 2
Back to the old
bargaining table
Sides resume the quest for a
'reasonable settlement' today
by JENNIFER CHRISMAN
l II I-  Assistant News t-<Mor
and YVONNE C. CLAES
I IIS   M.t.  i
Contract negotiations are scheduled to resume today, with the
administration hopeful that the talks will produce a quick
settlement
Kuss Herron. vice president
for University Relations, said
he hopes negotiations go well,
but progress is up to both
bargaining teams.
"We put a pro)ilfe;al on the
table Monthly and the faculty
responded with a proposal,"
said Herron. assistant to the
president. "We'll he reacting tti the proposal."
Herron said the teams will start bargaining at 1 :iiO p.m. and the
session could continue for "somewhere between live minutes and 20
hours   You never know  how long they'll last."
Hen on said he does not expect last week's communication
problems to affect bargaining this week.
"There was that whole unpleasant affair last week ibuU the
teams talked that out and that's behind us," he said.
The administrative team is looking for a "reasonable settlement
for both sides." Herron said, but he declined to elaborate on what a
reasonable settlement  would be, saying he  is not able to release   .
details about what the ailniinstration would consider a ""reasonable   I
sett lenient."
See BARGAINING Page 16
No vote on possible strike,
meeting set for Wednesday
by KAREN EMERSON
l  ■■ r    •-!■>■'   Mi   I'r.-l.-i  Is   I  LMol
During a meeting Monday,
faculty agreed to reconvene to
vote on a "job action up to and
including the withholding ot
service--, and possibly a vote of
no confidence in the Jakubauskas admin ist rat ion.
Faculty Association members
will    meet    again    Wednesday.
Oct. ■'*
III what PA President Guy
Meiss described as a "very
angry," two-hour discussion
about contract negotiations and
possible action, members also
decided lo bo\cott the Cent rails
scholar coin pet it ion if an agreement is not reached by Monday,
Oct    1
Alter an hour of discussing
negotiations. Joyce Baugh,
assistant professor of political
science, moved to close the
meeting to the press and other
non-faculty members Faculty
members voted in favor of
closing the meeting
Faculty members talked
about negotiations in closed
session for about an hour
While in closed session,
members voted to meet Oct. ii
and   to   boycott    the   Centralis
STUDENT MEETING
*■' Members L ofA Faculty
Association's executive
board are scheduled to meet
with students Tuesday at 4
p.m. in the Bovee University
Center Auditorium.
'" The meeting's purpose is
to give students a preview of
FA's general membership
gathering scheduled for
Wednesday and offer
feedback from a Michigan
Education Association job
action complaint the faculty
previously filed. They expect
the job action results back
sometime during the
weekend, FA President Guy
Meiss said.
w Meiss said if negotiations
do not yield a settlement lay
Wednesday, Oct. 3, a strike
vote probably would come
from the floor during $he
FA's general membership
meeting/^&lpsllilSfc §£==
Scholarship Program competition said Meiss, associate
piotessor ol journalism.
Before    the    meeting    was
closed   to  the   press,   members
See FA Page 2
Faculty to boycott Centralis
forum if rib contract signed
by KELLY McCARTY
I IFF  St.ifl W'lto*!
While administration and faculty bargaining teams continue
negotiating, the absence of a faculty contract may create more
problems for activities on campus.
The Centralis Scholarship Program Competition is scheduled for
Oct. 6, but if CMU's negotiating teams cannot agree on a contract
by Monday, faculty members plan to boycott the event. >•'
"With great regret, we will not participate if we do not have a
contract by Monday, Oct. I," said Guy Meiss, Faculty Association
president and Centralis mentor. - '-'
The event brought about 350 students to CMU's campus last year
and Honors Program Director Bruce Roscoe said closer to 50©
students are expected this year. ^
See BOYCOTT Page 2
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