Workers meet deadline, force unionization vote
BY PATTI WOLF
Staff Writer
Custodians and Physical Plant workers here have collected enough authorization cards and met their deadline, forcing election on the unionization issue, said Gus Frias, a student representative of the Pro-Union Committee.
The election, which will decide if the workers want representation by the Teamsters Union, will take place around Oct. 17, according to James Middleton, a field examiner for the National Labor Relations Board.
He said a simple majority will be required before Teamsters Local 208 can be certified by the board as representing the workers.
The election will be at the university with voting hours tailored to the worker’s schedules.
Approximately 460 custodians, carpenters, painters, plumbers, garderners and electricians will be involved in the election. Over 30% of those workers have indicated a pro-union stand by turning in authorization cards.
Monday at 3 p.m. was the deadline for the cards.
Members of the Pro-Union Committee, composed of custodians, will not speculate on chances for approval of the union.
Arnold F. Shafer, executive director of university facilities, said he did not believe the union would be approved by the workers. Shafer said the workers have no need for a union.
“I don’t think people have gained by joining a union,” the director said. “We (the management) are doing all we can for the workers.”
Eleven custodians who felt management was not doing what it could for the workers formed the Pro-Union Committee early this summer.
The committee feels a union would be more responsive to worker demands. But Victor Manrique, a member of the Chicano student organization involved with the union struggle, said the union, if approved, could make no promises to the workers.
The union would represent the custodial and Physical Plant workers in discussions with the university management concerning pay, working conditions and benefits.
The committee is demanding set pay raises of at least 6% for workers. Shafer said worker pay raises are currently allocated on a merit basis.
Less power for supervisors, who are called group leaders at the plant, is another worker demand. The committee charged that virtually all recommendations of the group leaders are approved by management. Shafer indicated this procedure is frequently followed.
The Pro-Union Committee has asked for preferential treatment for in-house job transfers and for substitute janitors to be hired when a custodian leaves on vacation.
Members of the committee have accused Shafer and group leaders of harassment and intimidation. Reports of physical abuse and humiliation have been reported by custodial workers sympathetic to the union movement.
Shafer has been accused of offering money to workers expressing a negative vote on the union issue. Pro-Union Committee members said Shafer has held dinners and luncheons for Physical Plant employees during which he presented strong anti-union sentiments.
Shafer has denied all charges made against him and the group leaders.
A custodial worker who asked to remain anonymous called many ofthe committee’s demands and charges untrue. He said management has no policy to squelch unionization efforts. The custodian also said no worker has been intimidated or harassed.
Charges that group leaders have provoked workers is untrue, he said, adding “One of the persons making the charge, Pedro Figueroa, has been in trouble with a number of supervisors.” Figueroa claimed group leaders have provoked him.
Editor's note: In a previous story (Daily Trojan, Sept. 4), Francisco Gutierrez was identified as the legal adviser for the Pro-Union Committee. Gutierrez is a second-year law student, not its legal adviser.
Daily
Trojan
University of Southern California
Volume LXX, Number 7
Los Angeles, California Tuesday, September 28, 1976
Work-study staff unhappy about unexpected move to Bruce Hall
BY VALERIE NELSON
Staff Writer
College Work-Study Program Staff members are unhappy with the program’s recent move from the Student Administrative Services building to Bruce Hall, said Pearl Coleman, administrative assistant for the program.
Staff members have not been informed why the office was moved, nor how long it will stay
in its present location, Coleman said.
Anita Siegmaa, director of counseling services, said the staff may have been uninformed because the decision to move was made very quickly.
Siegman said the initial plan was to move the program in June, but because of administration changes in Student Administrative Services, the date
MICKEY MOUSE—Mickey appeared here to promote speakers Mel Blanc, the voice of many cartoon characters, and Bob Clampett, creator of Daffy Duck. Since neither of the speakers had anything to do with Disney characters, perhaps Mickey is looking for a new voice or a facelift. DT photo by Bob La Bayne.
was pushed into late August.
Coleman said she was informed only two weeks ago that the program was going to be moved.
The program’s main problem is not having enough staff members to handle the student application^ and process paperwork, Coleman said.
A total of 500 students have been employed by the program since the beginning of the semester. There is a chance that students may not be paid on time,” Coleman said.
She said there have not been many student complaints yet, but there will be complaints if students do not get their money on time.
Paychecks may be late if the office does not . turn the timecards in on time.
Twice each month, every student in the program turns in his timecard.
The timecards, which are turned in on Wednesday, must be checked over, added up and turned in to the university payroll office by noon Friday.
One staff member, Mildred Nelson, was recently told she no longer has a job with the work-study program and should seek employment elsewhere at the university.
Nelson, a secretary for the program for the past 2Vfe years, said she was given no reason for her termination. She was informed of her dismissal verbally by Ray D. Penalber, coordinator of the program.
The paperwork problem is compounded by inadequate equipment, Coleman said.
The office needs calculators and typewriters that function properly, she said.
The program has not had access to the equipment that was used before the relocation.
The staff now uses a Xerox machine that copies at one-third the rate of the machine that was available in Student Administrative Services.
(continued on page 10)
Students detained for suspected drug sale
A report has been filed with Robert L. Mannes, dean for student life, regarding two students who were suspected of selling marijuana at Men’s Residence West Sunday evening, accordingto Lt. John Amundson of Campus Security.
Amundson said Campus Security received a complaint from Dennis Ceru, head resident of Men’s Residence West, that someone was selling marijuana to residents there. One student was caught at the scene. Another was apprehended an hour later on campus. No arrests were made because neither was found with any marijuana on his person.
Mannes had not seen the report as of late Monday afternoon, but he said the outcome would depend on whether there were any witnesses to the sales or attempted sales between the students and residents of the building.
In similar cases, Mannes said, if students were accused of wrongdoing and there was evidence to back the accusation, then there were grounds for judicial review by the university. If there was no evidence to support the accusation, there were no grounds for judicial review.
Mannes said that if any student is suspected of selling marijuana and there is reasonable evidence to back the claim, the Los Angeles Police Department would be called into the case, because a felony is involved.
The LAPD was not called on the case.
Ceru was unavailable for comment, but Jim Moore, resident adviser* for the ninth floor of Men’s West, said several resident advisers and Ceru were downstairs watching a television movie when a student called to complain that someone was selling marijuana door to door. After calling Campus Security, Moore and others went upstairs to investigate.
While they were upstairs, one of the suspects left via the elevator and front door. Moore said the suspect was picked up on campus about an hour later. The other was detained at the residence hall.
Although no marijuana was found. Moore said residents had seen a brown bag in the possession ofthe suspect who fled, which he did not have when he was apprehended.
The other suspect was caught when he tried to leave Men’s Residence West through the main exit. Several Campus Security officers stopped him and asked for identification, witnesses said. The student produced a university ID. An officer searched him, but didn’t find any evidence of marijuana, a witness said.
At that point, the student was taken to a nearby Campus Security truck. Amundson, the officer in charge, said they had no reason to arrest the student since he was not carrying drugs and not enough people stepped forward to claim the suspect was involved in the alleged sale of drugs.
Amundson said the student would be taken to the security office and that they would talk to him, but that further action was up to the dean for student life and the University Judicial.
RTD passes go on sale
Monthly RTD passes are now being sold by the Student Travel Bureau in Student Union 303. The passes can be used as soon as buses start rolling again.
A one-zone pass (Los Angeles only) will cost $14 per month, while a two-zone pass, which includes the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys, will cost $25. The passes offer unlimited use of RTD buses.
They go on sale the 25th of each month through the 10th of the following month. “In other words, a December pass would be available from Nov. 25 until Dec. 10,” explained Irini Roe, administrative assistant for the bureau.
San Fernando Valley residents have the option of the “Park and Ride” pass. The commuter parks his car at a drivein adjacent to the bus stop. This pass costs $37.50.
Roe said, “These passes are really worth having if you are a daily rider. Besides the monetary savings, you do not have to worry about carrying exact change.”
The program started last June so “it really has not had a chance to prove itself because of the strike,” Roe said.
The passes will also be available at the School of Medicine.
More information may be obtained by calling 746-7580.