Graduate teachers’ union
awaits contract approval
By ANN PORTAL
OtVw EmaraW
The University and the
Graduate Teaching Fellows
Federation agreed on a two
year contract July 21, ending
five months of negotiations —
the shortest GTFF bargaining
session to date
The new contract, which
awaits approval in October by
returning GTFs, contains a
14 86-percent increase in the
base salary over the next two
years
Jim Morgan, bargaining team
member and co-secretary/trea
surer of the union, says he feels
the 800 University GTFs will vote
on a good contract
"We got some things they
(the University administration)
got some things," he says
"The last month of negotia
tions showed good negotiating
spirit on both sides "
The settlement came after a
five-hour mediation session
conducted by state mediator
Kathy Mistier, called in because
contract negotiations had
reached an impasse on June 23.
Shirley Menaker, associate
graduate school dean and a
member of the University's bar
gaining team, says she feels the
union worked to negotiate a
good settlement for its mem
bership, particularly within the
current budget limitations
"While there certainly were
differences of opinion between
the University and the GTFF, the
University can live with the
negotiated contract," she says
One issue on which the ad
ministration and the union disa
greed was the per-term work
load of GTFs The administra
tion favored eliminating a
150-hour per-term "standard"
GTF workload, which the union
finally accepted.
However, the union kept a
175-hour ‘‘grievable limit,”
which allows GTFs working
more than 175 hours each term
to request higher pay or a
reduced workload
The elimination of the
150-hour standard shouldn't
affect the workload of many
GTFs, Morgan says The new
workload clause simply recog
nizes that everyone works at
different speeds, and allows a
25-hour buffer zone, he says
If ratified, the new contract
would increase salaries 4 per
cent on September 16, 1981, 4
percent on May 1, 1982, 5.5
percent on September 16. 1982
and 1 percent on May 1,1983
Staggering the salary in
r^r
creases allows the base salary
rate to increase more, so salar
ies will be at a higher level when
the next contract is negotiated,
Morgan says
The GTFF negotiating team
feels the settlement is the best
that could be obtained in a year
of budget crisis — higher salar
ies would have taken money
away from other areas, he says.
But union officials are disap
pointed that the Legislature
failed to pass HB 2598, which
would have allowed GTFs to
bargain for a health care plan
similar to one available to other
state employees. The bill was
defeated by just four votes, and
probably will be re-introduced if
special sessions are called dur
ing the biennium, Morgan says.
Other gains made by the un
ion include language changes
in various union articles. In ad
dition, GTFs who hold an ap
pointment one year and who
have been appointed for the
following fall term will gain ac
cess to the student health
center during the summer
months.
The University’s GTFF, which
was created by state law in
1975, is the only active union of
graduate teaching assistants in
the country.
EUGENE
RENEWAL
DISTTKT
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Emerald graphic
City studies renewal plan
By HEIDI SWILLINGER
Of Im tm*raM
Money for new street lights, park benches and
trees for an area encircling, but not including,
the downtown mall may be just around the
corner if a proposed urban renewal district wins
public approval
The new district, the brainchild of the Renewal
Plan Advisory Committee, will come up for
public debate Aug 26 If the proposal is ap
proved by the Eugene Renewal Agency, the
Eugene Planning Commission and the Eugene
City Council, funds for the addition of a number
of "public amenities" will become available
According to Jan Fiorato, information coor
dinator for the Housing and Community Con
servation Department, the renewal study is
being conducted in response to the city coun
cil's interest in increased downtown housing
and commercial development
But Fiorato says the committee also will em
phasize preservation of older buildings
"This committee wants to keep what's there
and improve what we have," she says
The proposed doughnut-shaped district, cen
tered around the downtown mall and bounded
by Ferry Street, Washington Street, 15th Avenue
and the Southern Pacific Railroad, includes
several old houses that will qualify for renova
tion loans if the committee's recommendations
are approved
Fiorato explains that once the city designates
an area as a renewal district, it is eligible to
receive tax increment funds — a portion of taxes
reserved for civic improvements
The current renewal district consists of the
Eugene Mall and its immediate surrounding
area
"It's fairly small,” Fiorato says "There's not
that much vacant land for building "
However, the proposed district boundaries
have a number of corner lots available for
high-density housing
Rather than expand the current mall district,
the committee decided to create a new one
That way, says Fiorato, the limited amount of
funds available for existing and new projects will
remain within the current district, while money
generated by the proposed renewal plan will be
spent only on projects in the designated area
The renewal study won't be concluded until
the end of August, Fiorato says, but before the
proposal is passed on for approval, a public
meeting will be held Aug 26 at 7:30 p m. in the
city council chambers
4
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