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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1974)
No break in the Oregon Mist. Watch out for wet, slippery leaves. Vol. 76, No. 65 Eugene, Oregon 97403 Wednesday, Nov. 20, 1974 Unions rival for representation Editor's note: This is the second in a series of four articles intended to inform the University com munity about faculty collective bargaining, who is involved, what its implications are for the University and what student reactions are to it. By CHRIS JUPP Of the Emerald If collective bargaining is ap proved by the University faculty, three unions will vie to represent the eligible members. The American Association of University Professors, the Oregon Sta*e Employees Association and the American Federation of Teachers each has advantages and disadvantages with respect to the others. These will un doubtedly magnify and multiply in the months of debate to come. The differences now are in the positions on bargaining units, breadth of union power and the underlying philosophies on higher education. Although a relative newcomer to collective bargaining the American Association of University Professors has been a major force in furthering professors rights since its establishment in 1915. It did not officially back union bargaining until 1972 when it became obvious that the process was needed on campuses and hxcJfY' WAG£S Administratis I IEG-LECTED Drawing by Robin Brisker that endorsement would bolster the union's organizational strength. Unlike that of the other two unions, AAUP's membership consists exclusively of university and college professors. This, maintains Executive State Secretary Bill Nelson, would guarantee responsiveness to unique university problems. The union also supports campus-by campus bargaining units to further insure response to each school's specific needs. Much of the AAUP's at tractiveness lies ir its traditional and philosophic role at the forefront of academic freedom. "Many people feel that it is a conservative organization favoring the old system of Recounts confirm wins By MIKE DOLAN Of the Emerald Cal Schmidt has apparently retained his general election victory over Marian Frank for the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEBI at-large position. A recount Tuesday diminished his original seven-vote margin to two. The final count was 14,014 to 14,012, a net gain of five for Frank and none for Schmidt. The Lane County Elections Office, which conducted the recount, found 67 ballots which had not previously been tabulated. Of those ballots, only 12 were from precincts voting in the EWEB position. Frank got six votes, and Schmidt got three. Three ballots were not marked for either candidate. Marian Frank got an additional write-in vote which elections director Don Penfold said was not valid. Frank's campaign director Sharon Posner thought the vote should have counted. But Penfold said "My interpretation and understanding of the law is that write-ins are for the purpose of providing access to people who are not on the ballot and Marian Frank's name was on the ballot." Posner, who explained she was very tired after having observed the recounting from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. said she had made no decision on whether or not she would contest the election or call for a recount in certain precincts. Penfold noted that some ballots were invalidated during the recount because they were marked. As he did during the controversial recount of the Eugene School District 4-J budget election, Penfold ruled that the ballots were invalid because the markings jeopardized the rights to a secret ballot. However, none of the ballots affected the EWEB totals. The EWEB recount is the first of four mandatory recounts in Lane County. A new state law makes recounts necessary in contest where there is a difference of fewer than 25 votes or less than one-fifth of the votes cast. The elections office will have five other contests to recount this week. Four of them are man datory like the EWEB election, the fifth has been requested by defeated county commissioner candidate Archie Weinstein. Today the department will recount votes in city council races in Lowell, Dunes City and Florence. It will also count the votes cast in the Fern Ridge School District budget election. In Lowell, Art Fowler, Milo Dixon and Ernie Gillespie have won election to at-large positions, but John Conrad, Milton Moore and Edith Hair are within 25 votes of Gillespie. In Dunes City, six persons were elected to the city council in a 12 way race, but Larry Dier finished six votes behind Shirley Merz and Do'Othy Premer who were tied for fith in the election. In Florence, two persons, Colleen Mills and Lanny Nivens, were within 25 votes of Roger McCorkle who finished second in the race for two positions. The Fern Ridge budget was approved by a 12 vote margin 1121 to 1109. Thursday and Friday the votes cast in the county commissioner election will be recounted. Weinstein requested the recount and has deposited a check for $1,056 with the secretary of state. If the new count bears out Bob Wood (D) as the winner, Weinstein will pay all expenses for the recount. If Weinstein is declared the eventual winner, he will have his money refunded. Weinstein lost to Bob Wood by 454 votes. Ken Omlid (R) finished third in the three-way race. government. Nelson says. But this is not true at all. AAUP is strongly dedicated to principles which are in effect very radical." Representatives of the other unions cite AAUP's inexperience in collective bargaining a weak Oregon structure and limited membership as main points working against this union. Representing 95 per cent of Oregon's classified state em ployees, the Oregon State Employees Association has a solid base of bargaining power. This foundation would provide the faculty not only with strength in numbers but also with large resources of talent and money according to Dr. Robert Campbell, chapter president. "Collective bargaining on campuses is so new that we must have someone with professional experience," he maintains. "OSEA is the only organization that has all the technical skills and a state-wide structure." In keeping with its belief in consolidated power, OSEA supports a single combined bargaining unit. "If bargaining is done with all nine schools we could meet directly with the governor's office to establish a budget," he explains. "Otherwise each school would only make decisions on the administrative level and the money could easily be cut farther up the line." "I don't think that collective bargaining should get into a lot of non-economic issues and therefore problems peculiar to each campus would not be af fected." Proponents of the other unions jump on OSEA's support of a state-wide system. They also condemn its wide representation of interests. There is no way they can have experience or personal with higher education," em phasized Nelson. Ah l is a national union of elementary, high school and college teachers. It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO and hence has strong connections with organized labor. AFT came out for collective bargaining in schools as early as 1955. Locally, it is sponsored last spring's unionization petition drive, and supports campus-by campus bargaining units. AFT would provide the faculty with its strongest voice, according to Nat Teich, union represen tative. "The record shows a great deal more leverage because we represent all teachers, not just professors. Resources are drawn from half a million people." He sees AFT as the proper compromise between an over specialized AAUP and a spread out OSEA. Criticisms of AFT are that it is weak in higher education and is over-centralized and top-heavy. "The AFT appeals to young faculty members because of its appearance of idealism," says Nelson, "but it is very bureaucratic on the national level and has no breadth |on local issues." A The Oregon Daily Emerald offices are now located on the third floor of the old portion of the EMU starting in Room 301. The new phone numbers are: V. News & editorial — 686-5511 Display advertising—686-3712 Classified ads —686-4343 y