1978-02-13; Central Michigan Life

              T~ "
i michi
Vol. 59 No. 53
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859
Monday, Feb. 13,1978
Troopers petition for group bargaining
Police 'stake out' UC for signatures
by DAVID N.BRABOY
LIFE Ass't News Editor
Several members of the Michigan State Trooper's Association
will be "staking out" the lower level of the University Center today
to begin a week-long petition drive geared at CMU students.
State trooper Richard Beckwith said Friday the drive is part of a
state-wide effort to gather enough signatures to put a constitutional
amendment before Michigan voters in November which would allow
troopers collective bargaining.
Beckwith, a trooper stationed in Mount Pleasant, said collective
bargaining currently is granted to municipal and county police
officers and firefighters, but not troopers.
Presently, collective bargaining for the association has been
denied as defined by Michigan's constitution.
Central was selected as a petition site due to it's large number of
registered student voters, he explained.
"CMU has a large group of voters which we haven't contacted
yet," he said. "If we can get at least 5,000 signatures, then I'll be
happy."
Beckwith' said a table stationed with three to four troopers and
their wives will be set up in the UC today through Friday from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m.
An important concern of the troopers, he explained, is to make
voters aware the troopers are not after collective bargaining so
they can go on strike or become unionized.
"We only want collective bargaining for better wages and
working conditions. We wouldn't call a strike because that would be
against the law," he said. "We have no intention of becoming a union
or affiliating with another union. If we can get collective bargaining
for our own members, then we can keep from joining a union,"
Beckwith said Teamster Union members tried a year ago to
persuade the association to join the union. "They only contacted
individual troopers and everyone turned them down," he said.
Beckwith said the troopers are working toward achieving
collective bargaining with the state Civil Service Commission,
which presently determines all working conditions for troopers.
"At the moment (the association) has no input with the state of
Michigan toward working conditions and wages. The commission
determines our wages, working conditions and grievances.
"But ifkwe gain collective bargaining, then we can go outside of
Civil Service and have an arbitrator make a decision in some cases
of conflict," he said.
Under collective bargaining, the troopers would be able to
negotiate some of ,their, conditions, of employment. Collective
bargaining also would'mean if the troopers and the commission
were unable to reach agreement ori some matters, these matters
could be taken to arbitration and resolved there.
Beckwith added, "I personally would like to see a guaranteed
transfer policy. ..Troopers often ask, 'Where am I going to be
working next week?'
"We have no guarantee where we'll be stationed from week to
week, so we can't plan ahead."
The current state police pension plan is an important issue to the
troopers, he said. A trooper who retires after 25 years of service
does not qualify for Social Security benefits and can receive as little
as $3,600 a year as a pension, he explained.
Beckwith said troopers also are looking for more input toward
equipment maintenance, especially in the area of patrol cars.
Higher wages-are not a main concern of the troopers at the
moment, Beckwith said, because Gov. William G. Milliken recently
approved a pay increase for the association equalling those of larger
city police departments.
Beckwith said 180,000 of the 266,000 required signatures have
been collected. He added the remaining signatures must be
collected and submitted in Lansing by June 30 in order to comply
with a 90-day deadline before the general election.
Beckwith added the association may take its petition drive into
Central's dorms, but explained nothing has yet been discussed with
the CMU Administration.
The winter landscape of a desolated farm with last summer's corn
crop buried under the wind-honed texture of snow brings evidence
to the fact that, despite its inconveniences, winter is a season* of
unique beauty. This point is further substantiated at sunrise, when
the fields begin to glow with the light and warmth the new day
brings (LIFE photo by David Fritz).
Board members optimistic but unsure
Has SA achieved unity, direction?
byJOEGITTER issue, an  investigation of the "Wednesday's meeting was a    the storm. The new constitution     unsure as to its sincerity. representative,,   said.
byJOEGITTER
LIFE Staff Writer
Members of the Student
Association (SA) Board of
Directors have expressed
cautious optimism and enthusiasm concerning the board's
apparent change of attitude at
its Wednesday meeting last
week.
Board members examined
their efficiency and representation of student interests at
that meeting. The soul-
searching atmosphere promoted
the board to unite on a common
issue, an investigation of the
parking and ticketing procedure
on campus.
"The mood of the meeting was
dedicated to finding out what
students on this campus really
want and trying to get
something done for them," Jim
Kuderko, senior at-large
representative, ■ said after the
meeting.
An informal survey of board
members conducted by CM
LIFE after the meeting revealed
a guarded optimism about the
board's change in attitude.
. "Wednesday's meeting was a
step in the right direction. Board
members were talking issues
instead of politics. It's time we
laid down our arms and started
doing something for the
students," Kuderko, Howell
senior, said.
But problems still remain,
board members indicated.
"Wednesday I sat back and
wondered if the opinions expressed were really honest,"
Don Fergle, sophomore at-large
representative, said.
"I believe it's the calm before
the storm. The new constitution
is coming up soon and there is
sentiment against it. If the
board can maintain this unity
through- the constitutional
debate, fine; but I suspect it will
fall apart," he said.
"I hope something can be
done, but I'm not that optimistic," Fergle, Grosse Pointe
Woods sophomore, added.
• Student Body President Steve
-Trudeau expressed guarded
optimism about the board's
apparent change of attitude.
However,  he  also said   he  is
unsure as to its sincerity.
"Maybe some board members
think it's going to be fairy land
now, but I've got holes in my
back to show it's not," Trudeau,
St. Clair Shores senior, said.
Most board members contacted said they were
representative of their student
constituencies. However,. each
admitted they had limited
contact with students.
"I doubt if 1 percent of the
junior class know who their
junior representatives are," Al
Stolpe,     junior     at-large
representative,, said. "Even
some board members don't know
who we are.
"We're isolated from the
students by not having an effective way to contact or meet
with them," Stolpe, Coloma
junior, added.
It was suggested at the
meeting board members
establish office hours or set
aside time in the week during
which students could contact
them and discuss any problems
or ideas.
(See "SA unity-" page 8)
Couple's stories speak loudly
to problems shared by deaf
Jim Pahz, assistant professor of health education, and Cheryl
Pahz, library science graduate assistant, take a quiet afternoon
off to look over some of their recent work and discuss ideas for a
new hook. Jim and Cheryl hope their stories will give an understanding of what it is like to he deaf. They have been writing
for two years and their first hook, "Robin Sees A Song,'' can be
found in the University Bookstore (LIFE photo by Susan Sussex).
by JULIE MORRISON
LIFE Staff Writer
"The song put the hat on its head and frowned, 'A song does not
have to be sung with sound. Why, a song can be sung equally well
with touch, or color, or evert a smell"- from "Robin Sees a Song"
by Jim and Cheryl Pahz.
Jim and Cheryl Pahz are not deaf to the problems of those who
cannot hear.
In fact, the couple writes stories about the deaf which they hope
both reflect the frustrations facing the deaf and their families and
also suggest ways to cope with deafness.
Jim, assistant professor, of health education, and his wife Cheryl,
library science graduate assistant, began writing in 1975. They hope
their stories will give an understanding of what it is like to be deaf.
"It is a way of explaining something people, especially children, are
not aware of," she said.
Pahz said the idea for the stories came to him while he was
working toward two master's degrees, education of the deaf and
public health administration, at the University of Tennessee.
"I couldh'tsleep one night," Pahz said. He said he was thinking
about the children enrolled in the pre-school program for the deaf he
established in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The result of his insomnia was "The Girl Who Wouldn't Talk," a
story he and his wife wrote one-weekend about a girl who learns to
speak through the use of sign language.
• "Will Love Be Enough? A Deaf Child in the Family," is based on
research results done on families with deaf children, The Pahz'
second story deals with the disappointment and guilt parents suffer.
It also examines different methods of educating the deaf.
The Pahz said the moral of the story is love is not enough when
dealing with deaf children.
"There must be more. There must be a concentrated effort by
parents of a hearing impaired child to prepare themselves for an
educational journey they will make together with their child," they
wrote in an epilogue to the story.
"Robin Sees A Song" was a sequel to their first story. In it, Robin,
who is deaf, discovers a song can be felt and seen as well as heard.
Pahz said writing the stories has been a satisfying experience for
them because of the reception they have received from parents of
deaf children.
"Parents of deaf children have written us and said they appreciate what we are doing. We find that very rewarding," he said.
The Pahz latest project is a hardback book to be released in
March or April. The Charles C. Thomas Co. Springfield, 111. is
publishing the book entitled, "Total Communication."
—Program Board announces Blue Oyster
Cult concert—pageS
—OBU Fashion Show and Taster set for
Tuesday—page 6
—Central cagers victorious over Kent—
page 9
—MAC presidents pick Division l-A-page
11
i*.**  K.^-t*.    **.A,^rJ.l+*fl#  .a.^M-fA-'i'Mt*^^,*..^.  *..    a**. ».*■«'rfMrVf*.
**"l *■    ^"U.t^-A,..*-,^ «V.* !v-' 'I,. •■' f
**». X *ti ^ttf ♦*AJtrfi* Vt*
■, *-\*-.n*.-*.*
m* sys, \ A
mgi
mmtwm&t
iifialtfitfMatfsl^^^
,t, -■ »*.-.*'i\jiv,i,i*Ji^ -p.   -
aiaagas^a^^^
"*.t-V.**-..!■";* v.;^**i?r*i>'--*><' *■■■*..nj