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News: No
Apologies UO SEIU WORKERS THREATEN TO STRIKE Negotiations have broken down between classified workers and administration in the Oregon University System (OUS) and threats are being aired of a mid- or late-September strike. Students return to campus Sept 29. Management declared an impasse Aug. 8. "What this means is that the clock is ticking towards our grand finale — whatever that ends up being," says Star Holmburg, a member of the OPEU/SEIU Local 503 bargaining table. "By Friday of next week, Aug. 15, we will have to submit our last, best final offer to management ... So, it is now officially crunch time. And they are dead serious." Once an impasse is declared, both sides have a week to submit final offers and then a 30-day "cooling-off" period begins. Classified workers in the system consist of about 1,300 technical, maintenance, clerical and other support staff at UO and about 3,770 employees statewide. The current contract with OUS classified workers expires Sept. 15 and workers are complaining about a lack of raises, possible cutbacks in health insurance for part-time workers, and "hostile language" in management proposals. OUS is seeking the right to lay off employees for up to three weeks without pay, flexible scheduling (a 40-hour workweek could conceivably cover seven days), and eliminating some seniority and layoff protections in the current contract. "If we are pushed to strike the first day of classes in September due to hostile OUS proposals, the blame for the shutdown of campuses will rest squarely on Chancellor Jarvis," says UO employee James Jacobson. "I'm thoroughly disgusted with the way university workers are being treated," he says. "This is the worst treatment I've ever seen or heard of in the university system." "It sounds like people are pretty upset," says Lynn Feekin of the Labor Education and Research Center on campus. "You're in a terrible economic environment and you're trying to negotiate a contract and your members in [the Department of] Administrative Services (DAS) have settled a contract and you're anticipating at least parity." Dan Williams, UO vice president for administration, sent an e-mail to the university community Aug. 5 saying, the UO "has long enjoyed a positive and constructive relationship, based on mutual trust and respect, with our local SEIU," and he expects the "terms and conditions of the final agreement will be mutually beneficial to everyone in this university community." Williams says the administration's latest proposals include a lump-sum payment of $350 for all eligible employees to be disbursed in November 2004. DAS workers got a similar payment. Regarding the controversial "greater level of flexibility" in scheduling, Williams says "OUS is not attempting through this change to be able to switch an employee's schedule in an ad hoc manner, but to have the ability to make reasonable scheduling changes when absolutely necessary to ensure the safe, consistent operations of our universities." Joe Sicotte, the OUS bargaining team leader, says negotiations are on the same schedule as the DAS negotiations, which wrapped up in July. "DAS declared impasse, and it was another 37 days before negotiations concluded, all of this time the union threatening a strike," says Sicotte "Negotiations could go on for another 30-plus days, we are hopeful that they will conclude at the next negotiation on Aug. 14, 15." Union members are planning to hold a series of events and rallies around the state at noon Thursday, Aug.14, according to Janet Szliske, communications director of SEIU Local 503. The Eugene demonstration will be at 12:10 pm Thursday in front of Oregon Hall at 13th and Agate. For more information, visit www.seiu503.org — Ted Taylor
APOCALYPTIC COMEDY COMES TO EUGENE Ashland playwright and comedienne Joanie McGowan brings to Eugene Rude Awakening, her explosive comedy about waking up to an end-of-the- world alert. Rude Awaken-ing runs Wed-nesday, Aug. 20 through Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Comedy Sportz Arena, 10th and Oak, downtown Eugene. Tickets ($8 adv., $10 dos.) are available at Tsunami Books (2585 Willamette) and Star Gate (1374 Willamette). Two dollars from the sale of each ticket goes to Lane County Bill of Rights Defense Committee to support their educational efforts and their campaign for a statewide resolution against the Patriot Act, Homeland Security and post-9/11 federal orders that violate the Bill of Rights. In the show, McGowan plays herself — a 47-year-old single woman, rudely jostled from a lovely dream by an emergency broadcast from Fox McFearlips of the American Spellcasting Network. McFearlips leads McGowan through a series of apocalyptic preparations, many of which come directly from the Department of Homeland Security's website, www.ready.gov"I was experiencing a terrible case of writer's block halfway through the play," McGowan said. "I had just heard about the new DOHS website, so I checked it out, and KA-BOOM! I was blasted right through my writer's block by what I found there … " For the local performances, Eugene actress Katherine Lewis and Ashland actress Carolyn Hitt will share the role of Fox McFearlips. The original staging of the play was directed by Alan Donovan. Rude Awakening has been performed in Ashland, Grants Pass, Portland and Canyonville, and has been well received by audience members across the political spectrum. "It's amazing what happens when you drop judgment," McGowan says with a smile. "Rude has a very diverse fan club." Performances are followed by an optional sing-a-long of the show's theme song, "If We're the Problem, We're the Solution," which McGowan will videotape and send to President Bush, Sens. Walden and Wyden, U.S. Rep. DeFazio and Gov. Kulongoski. "Each tape comes with a letter thanking our leaders for dedicating their lives to public service and letting them know we are here to help them deal with today's difficult challenges. I just received a personal note from Sen. Smith thanking me for the thoughtful note I sent with the first round of tapes," McGowan said. Schedule information and will-call reservations are available at 688-8270.
HYNIX BRINGING IN OUTSIDE WORKERS? Unemployment among unionized Lane County sheetmetal workers is running high this summer — about 35 out of 175 are without work — and adding to their frustrations are rumors that Hynix Semiconductor in Eugene is bringing in non-union workers from Korea to do duct work for its latest retooling. Retired sheetmetal worker Henry Alvis says he "can't prove it," but he heard from an engineer at Hynix that "they're using a lot of in-house people, and they're also using these Korean nationals" for sheetmetal work. "They did it without hiding it in the first remodel, and this is the second remodel, and I guess they got so much flack they're trying to keep it hidden this time." Alvis says it's "not even kosher" that they use their in-house people because "when you use pipes that move air, it's our work, according to the rules in construction and the union construction rules." The computer chip manufacturing plant in west Eugene was recruited to the valley and given $50 million in tax breaks based on its promises to create local jobs for local people. Hynix officials did not respond to a request for information regarding the rumor, but Jack Roberts, director of the Lane Metro Partnership, says the last time he heard the rumor it was regarding pipe-fitters. "I have talked to Hynix about this generically," says Roberts, "and my understanding is that the workers they brought over from Korea have been people charged with installing what they call 'tools,' but which the rest of us would think of as extremely expensive equipment — as in $100 million or so. My understanding is that the workers in question are responsible for installing and maintaining these 'tools,' here and at other Hynix plants around the world, and are Hynix employees, not contract labor being imported from Korea." Roberts says the installation of this equipment "enables Hynix to continue to provide over 1,000 jobs at this site, over 95 percent of which are filled by locals. I think it makes sense for them to use people who are trained, experienced and already in their employ to do this work." Doug McClaughry, business representative for Sheetmetal Workers Local 16, says Roberts might be right about the Hynix crew, and a few of his members have gotten work at Hynix recently; but he remains concerned about sheetmetal workers, plumbers and electricians losing jobs in enterprise zones all over Oregon. About 400 out of 1,200 members statewide are unemployed. "You give these enterprise zones great big tax breaks and then they do all the construction work with out-of-area people. Guys come in, whether it be from a different country or a different state .. they don't spend much here, they just send it back home. Taxpayers are sharing the burden and not getting any reward for it." — TJT
The new Eugene Public Library will be open more hours starting Jan. 1. The downtown building will be open from 10 am to 8 pm Monday through Thursday and 10 am to 6 pm Friday through Sunday. The Sheldon and Bethel branch libraries will have similar hours except they'll be closed Sundays. In all, the city is adding eight more hours to the downtown library schedule and 16 more open hours at each of the branch libraries. The added hours will be funded through 2007 by the $20 million Measure 20-58 voters passed last year. — Alan Pittman
LOCAL CHILDREN'S 'ZINE GOES NATIONAL All Round, a local publication "for children ages one to 100 and up that champions people who love the earth," has acquired a contract with Ingram Periodicals, a major leader in the specialty magazine distribution industry. The magazine has been nationally distributed since it started in 1998, but on a smaller scale by regional companies scattered across the continent. All Round will continue distribution through regional carriers. With the additional Ingram contract comes the possibility of having the magazine carried in more than 9,000 stores, including national chains like Borders, Barnes & Noble and Waldenbooks. Marketing Director Nathen Lester says circulation for the biannual publication has more than doubled, jumping from 1,500 to 3,000 since signing with Ingram. The magazine, printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper with vegetable inks, is "a vibrant, interactive investigation of a theme, handmade by Tilke [Elkins, editor and illustrator] in collaboration with other local artists and featuring artwork by readers." The latest issue "All About Being Born," which Elkins calls "our best yet," is available locally at Bambini, Book Mark, Mother Kali's Books and Sundance Natural Foods. — Bobbie Willis
Last week's cover story on OFAM, "Show Tunes," was missing a by-line. The story was written by Brett Campbell.
No
Apologies Paul Bremer, head of the U.S. occupation in Iraq, promised, "We will capture or ... kill them until we have imposed law and order ... We dominate the scene and we continue to impose our will on this country" (Guardian). U.S. troops hunting Saddam Hussein recently killed up to 11 Baghdad civilians, including two children, their mother, and their crippled father, as the family drove toward an improvised checkpoint. Yarmouk hospital received the wounded and dead, including a man with "his brain outside his head." A doctor yelled at a Western reporter, "If an American came to my emergency room, maybe I would kill him" (Independent). «Masad Nuradin, veterinarian and father of two small daughters, hailed a taxi. American soldiers thought his daybook was a grenade and shot him. His brother ran to help and soldiers tied him up, then drove away with Masad's body. "We thought the American soldiers were our friends," said Masad's father. "No more" (Occupation Watch). Soldiers shot 12-year-old Mohammed Al-Kubaisa as he came up to his roof to sleep, then searched his family's house for non-existent gunmen. They pushed aside Mohammed's mother, who was holding her bleeding son. When a neighbor drove Mohammed toward the hospital, soldiers turned them back. Mohammed bled to death in the car. "In Iraq we are tribal people," said Ali Hatem, a university student. "When someone loses their son, they want revenge." Iraqi traditions also include financial compensation, but the Pentagon has new rules that Iraqis must prove "clear-cut negligence or wrongdoing by soldiers" after May 1 and in non-combat situations. (The deaths above would be called combat-related accidents.) Some Iraqis would appreciate apologies, but "Apologies are not something that we have as a normal procedure in the military processes," says Gen. Sanchez, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq (San Francisco Gate). Iraq Body Count estimates are up, from 6,091 to 8,002 Iraqi civilian deaths since the war began. But humanitarian workers say many Iraqis are not reporting deaths now, because they are afraid or don't know who to tell (Knight Ridder). According to UNICEF, cluster bombs and unguarded Iraqi munitions have injured 1,000 children since the war ended. Iraq Body Count estimates at least 20,000 wounded Iraqis. For example, Dina Sarhan, 21, lost her leg to U.S. shrapnel. Her requests for a prosthetic leg have been repeatedly denied. Iraq Body Count suggests that a U.S. program to aid the wounded would make Iraqis more positive toward Americans. U.S. soldiers and military families are angered by government plans to reduce imminent danger pay and family separation allowances (Observer). At Iraq battle sites, Seattle reporters measured radiation up to 1,500 times background levels (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). They tried to measure a Baghdad site where a precision-guided missile had landed, but curiously, a block of rubble and dirt had been scraped clean (Larry Johnson). The Pentagon is investigating 100 severe pneumonia cases among U.S. troops in Iraq and nearby. Suggested causes include anthrax vaccines (UPI) and uranium weapons (World Socialist Web). The Pentagon denied, then admitted dropping napalm on Iraqi troops to clear the way for U.S. forces advancing to Baghdad. The new Mark 77 firebombs are harder to extinguish on human flesh than Vietnam-era napalm (Sidney Morning Herald). Pentagon researchers aim to create "Extended Performance War Fighters" who resist sleep five days without controversial "go pills." New possibilities include zapping soldiers' brains with electromagnetic energy, and modifying their DNA to include genes from white-crowned sparrows, who migrate from Alaska to California without sleeping for a week, or dolphins, who surface to breathe when sleeping (The Age). «Afghanistan costs the U.S. $1 billion in military expenses each month. The Bush administration budgeted zero dollars for reconstruction in 2003, but Congress added $300 million. With Karzai (and Bush) up for election in 2004, the Bush administration now wants $1 billion for highly visible Afghan projects: roads, schools, the Afghan Army, women's employment. Defense Undersecre-tary Douglas Fieth noted "the benefits, strategic and financial, of completing our mission there sooner rather than later." $1 billion may be the farewell gift (tompaine.com). More than 80 miles of the Separation Wall between Israel and Palestine have been completed. The Wall will incorporate 10 to 15 percent of West Bank territory into Israel. Much of this land has olives, vegetables, and scarce water. Some 72.000 Palestinians will be cut off from their farmland, 31 towns and villages will become islands surrounded by wall, and Bethlehem will be divided. People will be separated from neighbors, hospitals, and schools. The wall is expected to cause many people to lose their livelihoods and become refugees (Ha'aretz, Mark Lance, B'tselem). Peace activists urge a congressional investigation of war profiteering by American companies in Iraq (Institute for Southern Studies). More than 400,000 people have sent letters to Congress demanding an independent committee to investigate intelligence used by the Bush administration in justifying the Iraq war (moveon.org). |
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