1977-02-04; Central Michigan Life

              Volume 58 No. 52
Mt. Pleasant, Mich. 48859
Friday, February 4,1977
Is issue bargainable?
FA objects to school closing plan
by PAM KLEIN
LIFE News Editor
A plan to close the University in an energy
(emergency changes working conditions and is a
[mandatory subject of bargaining, Faculty
[Association (FA) officials said Thursday.
However, President Harold Abel said the FA's
(contention was "erroneous in all its fundamental
(assumptions."
In a statement issued Thursday morning, FA
(officials said they had met with members of
(CMU's administration Wednesday to discuss the'
(University's plan, which is contingent upon an
■executive order from Gov. WilUam G. Milliken
((see related story this page).
At that time, according to the statement, the
?A "offered not only to consider the administration's proposal (but) stated we were
villing to negotiate the matter on behalf of the
(faculty."
The FA said the issue was bargainable under
Article 36 of itu contract, which provides for
negotiations on "unforeseen substantial changes
in working conditions" which were not anticipated at the original time of bargaining.
FA President Ronald Johnstone said he
believes the conference with the administration
Wednesday simply was a formality taken by the
University "to take them off the hook with us."
He added the University "informed us of the
decision rather than asking our opinions."
"We were put out," Johnstone said. "We feel
they were just carrying out an obligation to talk
to the FA and we're concerned the faculty will
take that as a consensus on our part and make us
the fall guy."
Johnstone added the FA bargaining team was
ready "within five minutes to negotiate on the
energy crisis-University closing matter. Our offer
was refused."
Abel, however, said the FA's attitude was
irresponsible under the possible emergency
conditions.
"I am astounded that the Faculty Association
should attempt to make a critical national
emergency the occasion for tactical posturing
connected with their collective bargaining goals,"
he said. "If such an attitude were to characterize
the response of this community, much less the
society as a whole, we should have proven our
incapacity to deal with the critical problems that
will continue to confront us," he added.
Johnstone said he was not- surprised the
University had taken that position and that a
contract grievance or unfair labor practice (ULP)
may be filed because of that decision.
"We're not obstructionists," he said. "But we
should be prepared and an unfair labor practice
or similar change has been discussed., We'll just
take one step at a time, but it's certainly a
possibility."
Johnstone said no action would be taken until
the FA Board of Directors meets Wednesday.
University Attorney J. David Kerr said the
University's response to the FA's position would
be released in a letter to the FA from John
Weatherford, temporary assistant provost for
faculty contractual relations, sometime next
week.
diversity awaits
energy decision
by HOLLY HAYES
LIFE Managing Editor
University administrators
have adopted a "wait and see"
attitude toward closing CMU in
the face of the country's
mounting energy emergency,
according to President Harold
Abel.
A one to two week shutdown
of the University will depend
upon whether CMU receives an
executive order from Gov.
William G. Milliken to curtail its
natural gas use, Abel added.
Central relies almost exclusively on natural gas for
heating energy.
Milliken, in turn, awaits a
decision on the fate of
Michigan's natural gas reserves
from President Carter. Public
Service Commission officials in
the state said Thursday they
had not yet been told if or when
part of Michigan's gas supply
would be diverted to other
states.
Carter was given the power to
transfer gas reserves in
emergency legislation he signed
Wednesday.
Abel and other University
administrators have developed a
contingency plan to shut down
the campus if such an energy
emergency should be declared
by Lansing.
"If we have to close the
University, we would attempt to
minimize the effects of closing
upon the educational programs
by advancing the date of spring
vacation, presently scheduled
for March 12 to 21," Abel said. If
additional shutdown time is
needed, he noted, the semester
will be extended,
"The 1976-77 Calendar
provides a one week interval
between Winter Semester and
Mini Session, which could be
used to make up the time the
University is shut down, he said.
Regardless of the outcome of
the decision-making "chain of
command," Abel said, a possible
closing of the University "is
probably two weeks down the
road."
At a Tuesday meeting with
the Academic Senate's
Executive Board, the administration's plan was met with
approval, according to Senate
Chairperson Charles Eiszler.
• "We (the Executive Board)
decided the matter did not
require Senate action," Eiszler
said. "We thought the plan was
appropriate."
Wednesday's presentation of
the proposal to Faculty
Association (FA) members,
however, did not meet with such
reactions(see related story, this
page).
To deal with the energy
problem right away, officials
have ordered temperature cuts
in all classroom buildings and
dormitories to 65 degrees. In
addition, >the University will
begin today to lower temperatures in buildings to '50
degrees on weekends.
To^ deal with long-range
energy planning, Abel
requested the Senate set up an
ad hoc committee to examine
options available in altering the
University Calendar on a
contingency basis for next year.
Performing for the first of three "free concerts" Thursday in Warriner Auditorium is Chuck War-
drop, Mt. Pleasant resident, member of the local group "Wilder." The Free Concert Committee, a
registered student organization as of this year, is attempting to promote music through "free concerts"
according to Jim Hosner, Detroit graduate student (LIFE photo by Kirk Deatrick).
Strike ends!
City, union agree on three-year contract
byPAULRAU
CM LIFE Reporter
The strike by 46 municipal
employees ended Wednesday
after the Mt. Pleasant City
Commission and the membership of Local 1606 of the
American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) both voted
to ratify a new contract.
Tempera ture changes
{receive little notice
by STEVE BENNETT
CM LIFE Reporter
Brrr, bundle up baby - it's cold outside. And by
this weekend it will be getting colder inside even
though it doesn't seem that way now.
Tuesday, Jerry Tubbs, vice president for
business and finance, told the Physical Plant to
lower all temperatures to 65 degrees in
classrooms and dorms, 55 degrees in hallways,
and to turn thermostats down to 50 degrees in
classroom buildings on weekends.
But so far, it doesn't seem to l?e getting any
colder. In fact, with the amount of bundling up
People did after the announcement, many said
they actually were warmer their next day in
class.
"The changing of the temperature so far hasn't
wade any difference," William Podoll, assistant
professor of physical education, said. "Actually,
the people in my office think that it's a little
warmer in here today."
, Sue Zilinskas, Ossineke junior, said she didn't
like lowering temperatures but supposed it had
to be done.
"I think we're pretty safe here," Robert Cook,
instructor in mathematics, said. "It will probably
save CMU some money but so far I haven't felt
anything reduced in my office in Pearce."
.Thorpe Hall Head Resident Robert Mangham,
Flint graduate student, said he could detect no
difference in the dorm. "I've had complaints in
the past about cold rdoms bufnonein tbe last few
days," he said.
"What really makes me mad," Pam Hartdegen,
Saline senior, said, "is that they're lowering
temperatures in the classroom buildings so much
on weekends. I have an airshift at WMHW
Sunday afternoons and I can't do it in mittens. It's
hard to cue up records that way."
Martha Good, assistant professor of political
science, and Hill Rohsenow, assistant professor of
sociology, agreed they couldn't see any difference. "I think it depends on how serious the
administration is about saving as to how effective
it is," Rohsenow said.
Joanne Woodward, Otisville junior, said "It
was hot before this; it's not that bad now in the
dorms but you can freeze in some classrooms."
Another who thought it was somewhat colder
was Katherine Forbes, graduate assistant in
speech and dramatic arts. "Yes, it's much colder,"
she said. "When I'm in my classrooms with the
windows, it's like being in a refrigerator. I'm not
used to it. But, maybe I'm not dressing for it."
"I think it's a very good idea," Yvonne
Wezensky, documents technician at Park
Library, said. "But it might get a little cold. It's
time to get the extra sweaters out."
Workers in the Registrar's Office, Warriner
260, took an informal poll while being questioned
over the phone on the temperature reduction.
The result? It was unanimous. The office was
much warmer than the day before.
The 64-day strike- was the
longest by city employees in
Michigan history, union officials
said.
The workers returned to their
jobs Wednesday on regularly
scheduled shifts.
The new contract is a multi-
year agreement stretching from
Jan. 1, 1976, when the union's
former contract with the city
expired, to April 1, 1979.
However, the effective length of
the contract is only 26 months as
13 months have passed since the
previous pact expired.
The City Commission met at 4
p.m. Wednesday and ratified the
contract after a 45-minute
meeting.
Prior to the Commission's
unanimous ratification vote,
City Manager William Barrons
said, "I am happy to report that
negotiations have produced a
bargaining agreement that
everybody is reasonably happy
with. I am personally satisfied
that the bargaining committee
managed to meet your
limitations. I feel that both
bargaining teams did a commendable job considering that
they were under a lot of stress
during the last nine weeks."
•Local 1606 members met with
union officials in closed session
for two and one-half hours
before announcing they had
approved the new contract by a
32 to 7 vote.
Walter Oliver' president of
Council 11 of AFSCME, said the
vote "speaks highly for' the
negotiating process" and added
there were no real difficulties in
ratifying the contract.
In a break with tradition, the
union waited until the city had
ratified the contract before
meeting for the same purpose.
Union officials said the city had
"double-dealt"   City   Attorney
Edward Lynch in January, 1975
when the two sides had reached
a table agreement and the City
Commission refused to ratify
the document.
Lynch then refused to handle
further negotiations for the city,
union officials said. Local 1606
waited for the city's approval
Wednesday to avoid a similar
situation.
The economic area of the
settlement, which took the
longest time to solve during the
negotiations, called for a lump
sum payment of retroactive pay
increases amounting to $400 for
senior employees. Others who
joined the union after Jan. 1,
1975 will be pro-rated, receiving
a portion of the sum according to
the amount of time worked.
In addition, the workers got a
50-cent per hour raise with
another pay hike of 30 cents per
hour due after Jan. 1, 1978. The
raise brought the average
worker's salary to approximately $4.50 an hour and
represented a six or seven per
cent increase, union officials
said.
In the final economic area of
the settlement, the city agreed
to pay for hospitalization insurance during December, 1976.
Principle language changes in
the new contract occurred in1
these areas: grievance
procedures, management rights,
seniority, job     posting
requirements, sick leave, injury
leave, hospitalization insurance,
a recognition clause for Comprehensive Employment and
Training Act (CETA) workers
and other minor areas.
Barrons said the negotiations
"dwelt at length" on the
problem of supervisors doing
the same work as other employees. Noting the situation is
common  in many  city depart
ments, Barrons cited the public
library as an example of a
situation where not all'of the
supervisor's work is of a
supervisory nature but is of the
same type performed by union
members.
The problem was resolved by
attaching a letter of agreement
to the contract stating the
subject was discussed but no
changes were made in the city's
policy of allowing supervisors to
do the same type of work as
other employees.
Two other letters of
agreement were attached to the
contract. The first deliniated the
rights and procedures for
terminating CETA employees.
The contract states CETA
workers will be treated as all
others until CETA funds no
longer are available. Terminated
workers will get the first chance
at vacancies if CETA funds
would become available again.
The CETA program is a
federal plan to provide jobs for
unemployed workers. The city is
reimbursed by the government
for wages earned by CETA
employees.
The final letter of e0'reement
staies all economic and non-
economic changes are not
(See "Strike—"page 7)
Insider
— CMU's vets excluded
from Gl Bill benefits <-page 3
— CMU conducts 11th
annual film festival —page 6
— Chip cagers break
two-year jinx —page 9