Teachers insist on insurance, reject contract proposal
By Alicia Gano
Of I hr Kmrrrld
School Board Chairman lack
Billings said ho is encouraged
by the Eugene Education
Association’s willingness to
consider a new district in
surance compromise. despite its
ultimate rejection of it Tuesday.
Superintendent Margaret
Nichols also commented on a
recent Eugene CChamber of (Com
merce opinion poll on the strike
that indicated there is higher
community support for the
hoard than for the EE A.
The district's proposed com
promise would maintain cur
rent insurance benefits to
teachers during the 10H7-8H
School year with a $500.()()()
one-time contribution from tbe
district. Eater, district and
Serving tor lunch
Special
Malaysian
Hot Dish
Laksa $350
CHINA
BLUE ,
Ki-st.iur.int
H7‘l E. 13th. 343-2832
Si w in tin- I I) Rook\toiv. upil.nr\
associat ion representatives
would form a committee to
redesign an insurance program
for 1988*89.
The plan also proposes the
KEA and district share equally
the risk of excess insurance
costs or potential savings to the
district in 1988-89.
Despite the association’s re
jection. Billings said the district
and EEA did agree on maintain
ing Irenefit levels and the need
for further discussion on capp
ing insurance costs.
The district hoped this pro
posal would act as a “safety
valve” to get the insurance
issue “off the table,” Billings
said. The formation of a com
mittee to redesign the program
is a way to give everyone time to
make some reasonable choices
without the pressure of a strike,
he said.
EEA member Andy Got
tesman said the association is
unwilling to accept the cap on
insurance spending at this time,
but it is willing to keep
negotiating.
Gottesman also voiced con
cern that the district is close to
making a “last offer” to
teachers. A last offer is tin;
district’s equivalent to teachers
going on strike, he said, which
means the district breaks off
negotiations and offers any
teachers that will come back a
job those that don't accept
will lose their jobs to replace
ment teachers.
Teachers are being encourag
ed by the EEA to reject any such
proposal. Gottesman said This
type of “union busting" would
be to the detriment of everyone,
he said.
All teachers would benefit
most by sticking together in this
situation, he added.
If the district does not get
enough replacement teachers, it
will have to come back to the
association and reopen negotia
tions, Gottesman said. If some
teachers go back to work while
others remain on strike, tin;
position of the union is under
mined. he said.
Dean Baker, a staff assistant
for community relations at the
school district, said no one in
the district wants this to hap
pen. The district wants its
regular teachers to come back,
he said.
Nichols told reporters she
found the Kugene Chamber of
Commerce opinion poll
“interesting," pointing out the
survey showed 43.3 percent of
the community supported the
board while 29.3 percent
favored the association. She
also noted that fit* percent of
Kugene taxpayers would not be
willing to increase their proper
ty taxes to meet teacher's
demands.
This concurs with the
district's view that Kugene
residents are not willing to in
crease their property taxes for
school support at this time, she
said.
"The most important thing is
the reaffirmation of the impor
tance of being responsible
good stewards with the tax
pavers' money." Nichols said.
Oregon State
University
invites
YOU
...to discuss
The Master of Business Program
All Majors Invited!
Friday, April 24, 1987
DROP IN AND VISIT
at the EMU Lobby, 9 am - 3 pm
It you seek a 4-term program, opened to qualified students,
with entry possible am term, explore the possibilities ot
tered by the MASTER OF BUSINESS PROGRAM at
Oregon State l niversity, Corvallis, Oregon
SEE US TO DISCUSS YOUR I I I I RE
Chamber of Commerce Survey
1. As a personal opinion, which position do you tend to support
at present, the teachers or the school board?
Teachers
School
Board
Don't Know
No Opinion
Male
Female
Total
30.9%
28.0%
29.3%
45.1%
41.8%
43.3%
24.0%
30.2%
27.5%
2. Do you support the teacher's or the School Board's position
on the issue of health care benefits?
Teachers
School
Board
Don't Know
No Opinion
Male
Female
Total
28.6%
27.1%
27.8%
47.4%
46.2%
46.8%
24.0%
26.7%
25.5%
'Make a stink' about excesses,
renowned peace activist says
By Deborah lanes
Of Ihr Knirrald
Dr. Benjamin Spock took a
break from his civil disobe
dience activities Tuesday night
to encourage a University au
dience to "fight against the in
sanity of possible nuclear
annihilation."
In his fiery presentation, he
warned against relying on
politicians to create change
because "they have all thrown
away their judgment,” and to
instead "make* a stink."
Open
24
Hours
kinko's
Great copies Great people
860 E. 13th 344-7894
Sppck. 83, has spent the past
20 years as a rabble-rouser, rail
ing against tlie nuclear arms
race. He has been arrested 12
times, most recently in January
for climbing over a fence at
('ape Canaveral. Fla., to protest
testing for the Strategic Defense
initiative, also known as Star
Wars.
Spock is best known for his
work as a pediatrician and as
tlie author of “Baby and Child
(-are." which sold 2H million
copies and revolutionized the
art of parenting.
As keynote speaker for Faith
Week, he spoke about the "ex
cesses" that have led to the
disintegration of society. "We
are disintegrating from the in
side because we put everything
in money terms,” in? said.
Americans have lost their
spiritual base are losing their
faith in religion, the family and
the nation, Spock said "We are
a believing species; we need to
believe in something a little big
ger than ourselves,” he said.
Turn to Spock, Page 5A
YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY SYMPOSIUM
REEVALUATING CLASSIC
PARADIGMS
wht*ri» loading sc holars examine major < hanges
caused by feminist challenges to
c lassical literature, soc ial science, and philosophy
sponsored by
THE CENTER FOR
THE STUDY OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY
at the
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
Gerlinger Lounge
April 23, 1987 9:30 to 5:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
1:10
2: to
4:00
Page DuBois, University of California, San
Diego, Feminist Rethinking ot Greek Classics.
Marv-kay Camel, University of California, Santa
( ruz, I his Day We Road Further: Why Feminist
Interpretation is Necessar\.
I uni h break.
Judith Stacey, University of California, Davis,
( an I here* lit* A feminist Ethnography?
\aomi Scheman, University of Minnesota, The
I ngendering oi Philosophical Problems.
Panel disc ussion with the above speakers.