Oregon daily emerald., April 28, 1978, Image 1

Vol. 79, No. 143
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Friday, April 28, 1978
- "
Bill Head, project director, stands in the soon to be completed
solar green-house fish farming operation. Tours are scheduled
Photo by Dennis Hickok
to run through it as a part of the Sun-Day solar energy celebra
tion.
Catfish
to catch
sunrays
By ANNA C. HOYT
Of the Emerald
Catfish and grits may sound like South
ern fishes, but four Eugene groups are
backing a project which just may make cat
fish a common food in the Willamette Val
ley.
Lane County, Amity foundation, Action
Now, and Associated Students of Land
scape Architecture are sponsoring a project
to test the feasibility and economics of lo
cally raising fish on a small scale basis.
Previously, “fish culture in the U.S. has
oeen limited to large scale operations,” ex
plains Bill Head, project director, who was
hired by Lane County to oversee the pro
ject.
Catfish and Tilapia were selected as the
fish to be raised in the (almost completed)
solar greenhouse. The greenhouse, which
was started in March, will be completed and
stocked with initial test fish by May 3rd,
when tours are scheduled to run through as
(Continued on Page 7)
Food workers strike for wages
By CAROLYN BEAVER
Of the Emerald
University student food service workers
go on strike today saying they won’t accept
“slave wages” or stand for the withdrawal of
their seniority rights.
About a week ago the students called an
impasse in contract negotiations with the
University. The two sides could not agree
on a seniority clause and below minimum
wages for some workers.
Both sides agreed students' positions
should be determined by the length of time
they had worked. However, the conflict
arose because the University wanted to ex
clude two positions from the seniority rule.
Food sen/ice workers want to name one
of the positions not covered and require the
University to explain why someone more
qualified is being chosen over someone
with seniority for the other position. They
say they don't want arbitrary decisions on
who is qualified and who is not.
Allen McKenzie, University chief
mediator and assistant vice-chancellor of
the State System of Higher Education, says
he believes the two exclusions are "neces
sary and appropriate.”
He continues that the persons in the two
positions would be chosen on the basis of
"skill and talent,” rather than seniority and
that it would be a management decision.
The other complaint is that the University
refuses to pay minimum wage for all work
ers. The University is not legally required to
pay the rate, but student workers say there
is no reason why EMU workers should be
forced to accept less than the going wage in
the rest of the community.
Because half of the EMU food service
labor force are foreign students, who are
limited to campus work without a U.S. work
permit, the union feels the University is ex
ploiting those workers because they can’r
get other jobs.
McKenzie says if the strike is carried out it
will be “unlawful.” He says public em
ployees must go through a procedure that
involves a state mediator, a fact-finding
process and a 10-day notice of strike.
“None have been promoted or even
started,” he says.
“I’m very disappointed that this group
would take illegal measures,” says McKen
zie. If they do strike, McKenzie says the Uni
versity “will seek such legal remedies as
under the law,” which might include an in
junction or an order from the state board to
cease and desist, “which would be en
forced.”
James Covington, food service director,
doesn’t forsee much problem should the
students strike.
“I hope I’ll have the same areas open that
I do today,” he says.
He's not sure what action he’ll take. “I
don’t know what I’ll do. I’ll have to wait until
they go on strike to see.”
Wolfe nabs Emerald editor post
Tom Wolfe, a University graduate stu
dent, was chosen at a Thursday night
Emerald Board of Directors meeting to
serve as 1978-79 Daily Emerald editor.
“I would like to see the Emerald continue
to gain respect as an independent voice in
student journalism,” says Wolfe. The new
editor currently serves as Emerald manag
ing editor and as a night editor.
“As one of the few independent student
newspapers in the country the Emerald has
the potential of developing prestige and
legitimacy beyond that of most campus
newspapers,” says Wolfe. He says that
furthering that potential will be one of his
main goals as editor.
Wolfe, from Portland, is involved in an
interdisciplinary graduate program combin
ing journalism, political science and
philosophy.
Besides his current Emerald positions,
Wolfe has served on the paper as a repor
ter, desk editor and associate editor for de
partments and schools. He also wrote for
the University of Delaware student news
paper while he was attending that school on
the University’s National Exchange pro
gram.
Wolfe says one of his plans for the
Emerald involves the newspaper taking ad
vantage of the University’s diversity of
population to pursue a "broad range of
stories that appeal to students in their roles
as parents, spouses, immigrants, advo
cates, travelers, employees, consumers,
voters, scientists, musicians — or what
ever.”
As editor, Wolfe will direct Emerald news
and editorial policy and supervise a news
staff of about 30 people. He will also be a
voting member of the Emerald Board of
Directors.
Wolfe will begin accepting applications
and interviewing for 1978-79 staff positions
early in May. He will officially take office
June 6.
Tom Wolfe