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Geo, Third World Coalition Challenge U Of M 'Business As Usual'

Geo, Third World Coalition Challenge U Of M 'Business As Usual' image Geo, Third World Coalition Challenge U Of M 'Business As Usual' image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
February
Year
1975
OCR Text

Now entering its fourth week, the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) strike has become the longest labor dispute in University history. Arrests of picketers increased dramatically this week, indicating the University administration is determined to break the union and end the strike.

"They have moved backwards on virtually every issue we had moved forward," said GEO negotiator Sandy Wilkinson of the University's hardening line at the bargaining table. "What they are saying is you -- GEO, have to agree to consolidation of our power."

Continuing GEO picket lines and the Third World Coalition (TWC) sit-in at the Administration Building have forced the college off the smooth track of business as usual. In addition, widespread media coverage of student militance is hurting the University's image with conservative legislators and state residents. Administrators are out to end the public demonstrations by almost any means except concession to student demands. President Robben Fleming has argued it's all a question of money, which prevents a settlement with either GEO or TWC. 

"This is the most severe financial crisis I've seen in my eight years at this University," Fleming told the Board of Regents. "Since almost all these demands involve significant amounts of money, I want to know first where it's all going to come from. It's certainly not going to come from the state. And judging by what I've heard from students, they don't want it to come from tuition."

"Many of the demands we haven't settled on are not going to the cost the University a cent, like agency shop," pointed out GEO president David Gordon. "The Univeristy is trying to get away with the cheapest contract possible and at the same time weaken the union."

Students from TWC were even more annoyed by the University's financial excuses. 

"In the past, there have been times when the University has experienced unexpected windfalls," commented one Black woman angrily. "Our needs were not met then either."

 

Construction Up, Salaries Down

Financing of the University was called into question this week when state legislators grilled University officials over spending from 1969 - 1973. A state auditor's report revealed over $10 million had been pulled from the general fund to finance construction not authorized by the state. With the general fund a primary source for salaries and operating expenses, the $10 million takes on greater significance to student demands. Construction went forward at the expense of workers and the educational functions of the University.

In another state report, salary information on state officials revealed that Fleming is the highest-paid public official in the state at $67,000 a year. This is a striking contrast to studies by GEO which revealed graduate student assistants are the lowest paid in the Big Ten. (A similar study by the clerical union at the University showed clericals were also low paid, with salaries beneath all other state-supported schools). Rather than the amount of money, the question of University financing is really one of priorities. 

 

GEO Wins Concessions

GEO has refused to be intimidated by the University's claimed financial woes. Striking grad students have indicated current budget cuts are no reason for the continual sub-standard pay they received.

At a mass meeting Wednesday, the striking union endorsed a proposal to continue the strike until the University comes up with a better offer.

"The University is waiting for our strike to collapse," David Gordon told the union. "We have to tell them our strike will not collapse until we have our package."

Following the energetic, highly spirited meeting, the University retaliated by arresting twenty-five picketers the next morning at the Plant Department. The strikers were accused of trespassing on private property, a curious charge for a public university.

"As long as we weren't hurting the University," commented law student Zena Zumeta, "they wouldn't arrest us even if we were doing the most illegal things. But as soon as we started really hurting the U, they arrest us even for things that are completely legal."

Over the past three weeks, strikers have shut down the incinerator and stopped most supplies, including needed gas and oil from being delivered. As the strike continues, the University bargaining team has increasingly moved toward GEO's demands from positions originally presented as "ultimate and final." Still unresolved are economic issues, agency shop, and certain non-economic positions disagreeable to GEO but standard to every other U-M labor contract. Strength of the strike over spring break is likely to determine exactly how much GEO will finally come away with.

 

Unity Means Power for TWC

The Third World Coalition took advantage of the University's weakened position from the GEO strike to renew demands for 10% black enrollment made by the Black Action movement in 1970 along with additional requests for other Third World students on campus. The three-day sit-in focused attention on the discriminatory treatment these students fact at the predominantly white university. 

The sit-in focused on the BAM demands, which remain unmet despite promises by administrators five years ago.

"We don't have five years to wait anymore," said a Black spokeswoman for TWC. "These demands may mean taking away from some other privileged branches of the University, but these needs can no longer be ignored."

The sit-in ended when President Fleming agreed to meet with representatives of TWC. That talk led to further negotiations with various other University officials, but as yet, no promises have been forthcoming.

While negotiations for both groups are temporarily at an impasse, the threat of student militancy has shaken up a university which shifted back to its conservative roots once student demonstrations of the sixties died down. Administrators have discovered that reports of the movement's death are "greatly exaggerated."

As one Black student put it, "We unite because we are in a common environment. You have to make sure the school don't screw you again."