1992-05-27; Central Michigan Life

              Serving the
campus community
for more than
70 years
Central! IEE
Michigan LI ■  E
WEDNESDAY
May 27, 1992
VOLUME 74, NUMBER 87
MOUNT PLEASANT, MICHIGAN 48859
c   1992 CM LIFE
(517) 774-3493
12 PAGES
Phase II layoffs announced
Thirty-one staff employees
given early layoff notices
By Rochelle Reneker
! IFF News Fd-tor
CMLT officials have eliminated 48 full and part-time positions in an effort to help trim $3
million from the University's
1992 - 93 budget.
University officials, however,
tried to give as much notice as
possible to employees holding
positions slated for elimination,
said Rat Goldsmith, director of
Public Relations.
"The University tried to give
as much advance notice as possible via supervisors." she said.
"Because after formal notice
employees only have anywhere
from one week to one month of
work left."
Seventeen of the positions to
be eliminated are currently vacant.
Employees to be laid off
include seven administrative/
professional, which includes
employees that are professional
or management level; eight
clerical; four supervisory technical, which includes supervisors of clericals and administra-
1
1
"The
University
tried
to    give    as
much
advance
notice
as  possible
via su|
oervisors."
Rae Goldsmith
tive aides and 12 maintenance
and food service workers.
Vacant positions include two
in the senior officer group, four
administrative/professional,
one clerical, three supervisory
technical, three maintenance
and food service and four in University service faculty.
Formal notice will be given
May 29.
Included layoffs will cut the
University budget by $1.2 million.
Plachta appointed three
teams to study energy conservation, health services, the motor
pool, athletics, printing services:    workers'    compensation
and the Central Health
Improvement Program.
Groups are expected to report
to Plachta with results around
June 1, but will be given more
time if needed, he said.
University officials are working to limit salary increases,
will not increase the supplies
budget and are reviewing several academic programs to possibly be cut.
The Phase II cuts are
designed to permanently reduce
the budget, Plachta said.
The University will offer help
to those employees being
affected by the lay offs. Services
include, preparing resumes and
assistance seeking retraining or
new employment. Counseling
will also be made available
based on the needs of laid off
employees.
The University eliminated 19
positions in Phase I of the
budget cuts.
The University reduced its
budget by about $2.6 million
during the first phase of the
budget cuts.
LIFE Photo/Mic Stankiewicz
Joseph G.
Steele Mac-
Breacan, Steward of the
Clan Breacan, spent
much of last
weekend
relating tales
of his clan at
the Alma
Highland
Festival. For
story and
more photos,
see page
eight.
Public Safety head
McAuliffe laid off
By TJ Bucholz
- "-F  Friiior
Although layoff's at public-
institutions can sometimes
be shocking, no one was more
surprised than John McAuliffe Tuesday.
After serving the CMU
community since August of
1969. McAuliffe was
informed Tuesday his job
was being eliminated, due to
Phase II budget cuts implemented by the University.
When asked about the "lay
offs. McAuliffe only knew of
one.
"The only one I know about
is me," said a stunned McAuliffe in a telephone interview
with CM LIFE on Tuesday.
"Apparently, my position has
been Said off. It doesn't feel
very good, not at all."
In a written statement.
Kim Ellertson, vice president
for business and finance said
he "reviewed the operations
of the CMU Department of
Public Safety carefully and
thoroughly," and believes
"that responsibilities for law
JOHN McAULlFFE
enforcement oversight can be
consolidated within the
department and that some of
the administrative or management functions for public-
safety can be handled at
another level."
Although Ellertson
refused   to   comment   about
the specifics of the layoff, he
See LAYOFF Page 2
Clericals, University
sign a new contract
By Rochelle Reneker
! IFF News Fditnr
Members of CMU's Clerical
Union 6888 voted by secret ballot to accept the University's
last best offer.
Union members informed
University officials May 20 they
had ratified the three-year contract. The contract will be submitted to interim President
Leonard E. Plachta for
approval.
Clerical employees previous
contract expired on June 30.
1991 and was extended until the
strike, which began August 21,
1991 and continued until Sept
23, 1991.
The proposal — made during
the a May 12 bargaining session
^— is called the last best offer
because it is the most the University can offer and still stay
within its financial limitations,
said Rae Goldsmith, director of
Public Relations.
One concern the clericals
faced if the contract was not
ratified. University officials
would have begun implementing parts of the last best offer.
"That was definitely a concern of our members," said
Union President Shary Gaunt.
Union members are still
angry, Gaunt said.
"We are still very angry," she
said. ''But the University has
not broken our spirits — and if
that was their intent — it didn't
work."
The contract includes a wage
freeze during 1991 - 92 and a 3
percent increase during
1992 - 93. which includes a 2.75
percent increase in base salary
and a .25 percent lump sum payments to be spread out over 26
pay periods.
The same wage increases will
be implemented during the
1993-94 fiscal year, which
begins July 1.
Various portions of the contract will be put into effect
before July 1.
Also included are increased
health benefits including, addition of mammogram and pap
smear coverage and $110.224 in
benefit pool for 1992 - 93 and
$1 H),002 increase in 1993 - 94.
The benefit pool will fund
increases in health, dental and
vision premiums. Reduction in
benefits for part time employees
will be delayed until June 30.
1994.
Plachta is pleased union
members ratified the last best
offer.
"I hope we can put it behind
us," he said.