1996-08-26; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number 2
Mt. Pleasant,  MI 48859
©1996 CM LIFE   .
77 years of serving the community
MONDAY
August 26,1996
16 pages
AFSCME organizes rally against privatization
By Jeremy Russ
LIFE Staff Writer
While university officials spoke of
CMU's virtues to freshmen Sunday
during a convocation at the Student
Activities Center, approximately 100
AFSCME union supporters protested
privatization outside.
Members and supporters of the
American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees Local 1568
organized a rally for those opposed to
privatization on campus and Plachta's
$19,000 raise.
The group began by marching in
picket-line form in front of the Towers
and then moved to the Student
Activity Center. Their signs read,
"Corporate greed! Plachta gets
$19,000 wage increase" and "ARAMARK, higher prices, inferior product."
Plachta declined comment on the
rally, the AFSCME union and privatization Sunday evening, but he did
speak in defense of his pay raise.
"My salary is set by the board, not
me," Plachta said. "It's a market rate
of pay. According to the board, it's saying I did a good job."
The protesters hoped the rally
would "enlighten taxpayers and students as to the effects of privatization," said Linda Philo, president of
AFSCME Local 1568.
Kim Ellertson, vice president of
Business and Finance, could not be
reached for comment Sunday evening.
Rae Goldsmith, associate vice president for Public Relations and
Marketing, was not aware of Sunday's
rally, but said the university is looking
at "limited subcontracting" primarily
on the basis of cost efficiency.
"We're looking at ways to save
money and at the same time be more
efficient," she said.
Philo said many union members are
upset because they were basically
forced to vote to take a $1.50 an hour
pay cut in order to save their jobs.
She said while they were "forced" to
take a pay cut, Plachta takes a
$19,000 a year raise.
Protesters feel this is an unfair act,
she said, since he promised to help
lower students' costs, then accepted a
raise and increased tuition for students.
"It's a slap in the face to taxpayers
and students," she said.
The effects of privatization, Philo
said, are seen in lower quality food
and service, and the cutting of many
skilled trade and maintenance jobs on
campus.
"Before ARAMARK took over, the
university had excellent service and
LIFE Photo/Chris Jarvis
(above)People gather for a rally in support of the AFSCME in front of the lowers Sunday in protest against privatization, (below)
Many were dressed in uniform, whether it was shirts, hats or banners, they were prepared.
excellent food," she said. "Cooks are
being reprimanded for changing
recipes because they could not stand
sending out junk to students," Philo
said.
"At one time, CMU was employer of
the year," she satd. "They have turned
into monster of tne year."
According to Philo, the union was
happy to win the bid for the labor portion of Dinning Services last week, but
said the process proved ARAMARK
was wrong in stating it could provide
the service for less money than the
union.
"ARAMARK raised their bid
$400,000 from the first time they bid.
That shows that their first bid was a
sham. They knew they could not do
it," Philo said.
Diane Rigotti, staff director for
AFSCME Council 25, said she hopes
the rally will "bring recognition that
the university is imposing injustice on
members (of AFSCME)."
Rigotti said the "university claims it
has to save money, so it offered to
extend the union's contract for a year
with no improvements."
Yet, she said during the unions
process of fighting for the contract, the
university "hired an attorney who cost
$180 an hour. Why would the university hire him if they're interested in
saving money? Not to mention
Plachta's raise - it doesn't make any
sense to us."
Both Philo and Rigotti agreed the
university had not discouraged them
from having the rally. However, Philo
added, "Five to 10 people were forced
to work (Sunday) in Carey Dinning
Commons, even though it was their
day off."
Several of the protesters were voicing their concerns and raising questions about Plachta's recent pay raise.
"I would like to see him try and live
off of what we are forced to live on,"
said one woman from the crowd.
Dave Pratt, Grand Rapids sophomore, who had joined the group while
they were protesting, said of the
event, "I had no idea what was going
on until I came over and asked questions. I am glad I came over here to
find out."
Freshmen
get first
taste of
CMU
■ New freshmen
students take
advantage of wide
range of workshops
provided by CMU
By Dave Borough
LIFE Staff Writer mmmm
Hot, hectic and pretty crazy
was how many freshman students described their first few
days at Central.
As part of the new Campus
and Community Life
Orientation program, new students began arriving on
Thursday.
According to Michelle
Howard, director of Academic
Advising Services, the response
to the orientation has been
tremendous.
Howard said as part of the orientation students were encouraged to attend workshops on
diversity, sexual aggression and
other educational topics.
"The workshops have been
very well attended," Howard
said.
Jeff Cote, Com stock Park
freshman said, moving in was
pretty hectic and really hot.
"The elevator was full and it
was really hot and sweaty;" Cote
said.
So far during the orientation
Cote said he has attended the
diversity workshop.
"There »cre a lot of people
there," Cote said. "I think the
workshop went pretty well*"
Jamie Tanton, Harbor Beach
freshman, also said moving in
was hot and a little confusing.
She said she attended the sexual assault workshop and
thought it was cool.
"(The speaker) told the girls to
be safe and to walk in gangs,"
Tanton said. "He was really to
the point and made it interesting."
Tanton also attended the
meeting   discussing   the   book
See REACTION Page 5
University leaders welcome Central's freshmen Class of 2000
LIFE Photo/Bryan Bosch
Freshmen learn the Alma mater , choreography and all, during the
student convocation Sunday in Rose Arena.
By Samuel Richards
LIFE Staff Wnter	
An estimated 1,000 freshmen
gathered at Rose Arena on
Sunday for the new student convocation to take part in opening
week festivities.
Students at the convocation
were challenged by Mike
Immings, Welcome Week
Steering Committee co-chairperson "to make your opportunities
happen."
Students accepted this challenge with open arms and
enthusiasm.
Erin McDonough, Beaver
Island freshman, replied to
Immings comment by saying, "I
am  and  always will  be  up for
some type of demanding obstacle
to overcome. This is why I chose
Central Michigan University
over the other schools around
the country."
Mount Pleasant Mayor Susan
Smith, an alumna of CMU, was
at the convocation, and said
Mount Pleasant is always happy
to see August roll around and
the students roll in.
"(The students) bring a sense
of energy and enthusiasm to
Mount Pleasant," she said.
Smith also encouraged new
students to take an active part
in the community.
Taking a part in the community, Smith said, has become one of
the reasons there is a sense of
closeness between the town and
students - almost as though they
are all a close-knit family.
Lisa Diaz, Student
Government Association president, said her experience at
CMU has already brought her
job offers.
"I am a senior and graduate
this May," she said. "I don't have
a resume, but I do already have
job offers."
After CMU's Brand Brass
Quintet played the Alma Mater
and students watched a short
movie on student activities, the
ceremonies were over.
Students were then invited to
attend a Student Activities Fair,
where such groups as
Clinton/Gore '96, Student
Alumni, the Forensics Club and
campus fraternities and sororities were on hand to give students information about campus
organizations.
Jannell Gill, Saginaw freshman, and her roommate Janet
Geisler, Grosse Pointe freshman, said there were so many
organizations to choose from
they could not decide which ones
to choose.
John Dinse, associate professor of political science, left the
students by saying, "On behalf
of the faculty and staff of CMU,
we welcome (the Class of 2000).*
SAC membership fees increase; students not affected
By Jeremy Russ
LIFE Staff Writer
The Student Activity Center
will soon raise fees on many
memberships to help offset the
effects of the minimum wage
increase.
Students need not worry about
their mandatory $50 student
activity fee being raised, said
Tom Jones, director of Campus
Recreational Services, but the
President's Council approved an
increase for all other memberships.
Jones said he wants to stress
that throughout the month of
September current members
and anyone else who would like
to become a member of the
Student Activity Center "will be
permitted to do so at last year's
rates."
However, after September, the
rates for faculty and staff memberships will be raised from
$150 to $200 a year and faculty
and staff retirees membership
will be raised from $50 to $100 a
year, he said.
Others whose rates have been
raised are alumni donors' memberships and community limited
memberships from $200 to $250
a year.
The need to raise the fees surfaced when the minimum wage
bill was signed, approving an
increase in the wage. The university will raise wages to the
appropriate rate, but individual
departments will not receive
additional money for their budgets.
Since the SAC has the ability
to make money and help support
itself, Jones said he hopes by
raising the SAC's total income i
will be able to maintain all of it*
student positions. If not, the
SAC will have to make some
reductions.
"(The increases) generate
more money to help pay for
increases in students' pay - due
to the rise in minimum wage and
buy new equipment for the
SAC," Jones said.
The cost of bowling at the SAC
has been raised to $1.65 for non
students and $1.35 for students.
Jones said, "All of these prices
for bowling have gone up a
dime."
See INCREASE Page
11
LIFE Graphic/Jeff ]
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