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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1981)
Tree planters hold protest In Eugene Weaver joins rally in criticizing government policy By KIRK KNIGHTON Ol the Emerald Oregon tree planters who claim they’re losing jobs to il legal aliens rallied at the Eugene Federal Building on Friday. sociation, was aimed at both the federal government — par ticularly the U. S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Man agement — and the contractors who employ illegal aliens. The protesters, bearing pick — them. The problem hurts both American workers and the aliens, the protesters said. The NWFWA claims Oregon ians will lose hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars because "The Mexicans are getting screwed royally, ” one protestor said. "We have all the sympathy in the world for them. ’’ Almost 200 tree planters pro tested government policies that allow illegal aliens to work in Oregon’s forests. The protest, organized by members of the Northwest Forest Workers As r-SKI MT. BACHELOR I I Stay in Connie’s Condominiums j SUNRIVER I 1. 6 Bdrm. Sleeps 15-17 j 2. 4 Bdrm. Sleeps 14 3. 2 Bdrm. Sleeps 6 INN OF THE I SEVENTH MOUNTAIN I | 3 Condominiums I 1-3 Bedrooms Rates $24-$100 343-1110 687-2287 et signs such as “American Jobs for Americans," were quick to say their gripes weren’t aimed at the alien workers themselves, but at the contrac tors employing — and exploiting University of California, Santa Cruz HAWAII BACKPACKING QUARTER 15 units • Natural History • Geology • Tropical ecology Spring Quarter, April 8 - June 5 Phone (408) 429-2822 or write HAWAIIAN FIELD STUDIES Cardiff House University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, Ca 95064 ONA CAF Open Evenings til 8:00 Beer and Wine Now Available! SANDWICHES & BURGERS Teriyaki Steak . 2.75 Turkey and Cheddar ... 2.50 Teriyaki Burger . 2.00 Islander Avocado . 2.40 SALADS Taco Salad . 2.65 Homemade Potato Salad . .75 Tuna-Avocado Salad ... 2.85 Garden Salad . 1.45 SPECIALTIES Island Plate Lunch . 3.25 includes salad, rice, and a different specialty daily. Super Taco . 2.40 Homemade Soup . 1.50 Quesadillas . 1.90 . . . plus a selection of freshly baked pastries and tropical juices. Breakfast and lunch served also 345-0214 "On 13th between the Bookstore and Duffy's. " the government fails to ade quately restrict the exploitation of reforestation workers. Local tree planters said this has forced them into an adversary role against the illegal aliens, a position most of them find awkward. “The Mexicans are getting screwed royally,” one protestor said. "We have all the sympathy in the world for them. "But we have to look out for our jobs — our livelihoods — before anything else. Those Mexicans have the jobs that we should have.” By law, the forest service and the BLM must award reforesta tion contracts to the lowest bid ders. Contractors who employ illegal aliens can underbid those employing local workers because aliens are usually paid less than minimum wage. And so a majority of the con tracts — 57 percent this year — are awarded to contractors who employ illegal aliens, the tree planters claimed. But the government is indifferent to the problem, they added. "Their only concern is with awarding the lowest-priced contract. After that they could Photo by Erich Boekelheide 200 tree planters gathered Friday to protest U S. policies allowing illegal aliens to work care less what happens,” one protestor said. The forest service and the BLM have inserted warnings in to their contracts that warn of the consequences of employing illegal aliens, but the tree planters said these warnings ‘have no teeth to them.” The Immigration and Natur alization Service is all but powerless to enforce its own laws in this case, they claimed. "We don't want the INS to harass any worker, Mexican or American. We want them to get on the backs of the contractors, who are making a fortune from human slavery.” NWFWA endorses more ac tive enforcement of the Service Contract Wage Act require ments, especially against contractors who exploit undocumented workers. Rep. Jim Weaver, D-Ore., made a brief appearance at the protest and promised to work for solutions to the problem. "I won’t quit my job until you all have your jobs back,” Weaver shouted to the cheering protesters. ‘Glyphs’ needs prose, verse Eugene poets, writers and ar tists don’t have to depend on the mercy of New York pub lishers for their works to see the light of day. Glyphs, a literary magazine sponsored by the University Honors College, is accepting submissions from students and area residents for its 1981 edi tion. “We have a feeling that there are people out there who don’t £ SKI SALE! DOWNHILLS CROSS COUNTRY AU Skis 20-50% OFF All Bindings 20% OFF All Boots 20-40% OFF Poles, Gloves, Goggles, Underwear, Hats, Ski Racks, Turtlenecks, Ski Bags, Socks, now 20% OFF SKI CLOTHING 20-40% OFF Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.i 13th & Lawrence 683-1100 Cross-Country 683-1300 Downhill Mon.—Sot. fit into the other literary magazines but who we can publish," says Glyphs’ co-editor Kim McCrea. Poetry and prose submis sions for the 4-year-old magazine must be written or typed legibly on 8 Vi by 11 inch paper. Drawings, lithographs, block prints or photographs must be black and white. All submitted material should in clude the submitter’s name, _«“■— phone number and address. A stamped, self-addressed en velope should accompany ma terial the writer wishes returned. Deadline for submissions is March 15. Persons whose ma terial is selected will be notified spring term. The magazine should go on sale in late May. Copies of last year's magazine are available free at the Honors College office on the third floor of Chapman Hall. HsurLoffc Ss*--» for MenandWanen yffl<'/vrri/r*^ A RIP-ROARIN’ PERM SPECIAL Reg. 3500 Through February ^25^ not included) Two convenient campus locations 1239 Alder 485-1202 1461 E. 19th 484-2565 J