Editorial
Strike gives union
political victory
The Oregon Public Employees Union brought the issues
of its strike to the foreground when University employees
walked out of their jobs Tuesday. The lack of experienced
workers threatened to make registration disorganized and
difficult.
At a time when the University is facing the largest
enrollment in its history, the thought of a rough registration
panicked many students.
But the strikers should not be blamed for any incovie
nience. The University was a strategic location, and their
voices were heard when OPEU and the state settled the
strike on Thursday.
These tactics and the use of the rolling strike helped to
emphasize the importance of OPEU concerns. And although
the settlement agreed to is not economically signifigant,
workers came away from the strike with a political victory
and a strong sense of unity.
OPEU settled on a 2 percent wage increase retroactive to
July with a 4 percent increase in lanuary 1989 even though it
was asking for a 4.5 percent increase before the strike.
The best gains were made in benefits for health
coverage, pay equity and layoffs. An advisory committee
also will be assigned to examine excessive workloads.
Those are important issues and through its new-found
strength, the OPEU was able to bring its propositions to the
public. The strike and the slight inconvienienc.es it
presented only helped to emphasize the necessity of state
workers. At tin* same time, this need for state employees
helped to bring the strike to a quick end.
The nine-day strike was the first by state employees
since they gained the legal right to strike in 1971.
But the turnout of workers honoring the strike was HO to
90 percent in most locations, demonstrating the commit
ment and togetherness of the employees for their cause.
The concept and force of a union was exemplified dur
ing the OPEL) walk outs. During the nine days of striking.
OPEL! grew into a powerful force — one to Ik? taken seriously
in the future.
"I see OPEU coming of age, becoming a mature union,”
Irv Fletcher, president of the Oregon AFL-CIO. told the
Oregonian on Friday. This is the union’s most important
gain: the ability and power to express its concerns.
Before the strike, the state did not seriously consider the
union's propositions and did not believe it would go on
strike. Now OPEU has the political voice to use as a bargain
ing tool if the need to strike ever arises again.
Gov. Neil Goldschmidt expressed these beliefs to the
Oregonian. "We will not wait for a bargaining period to pay
attention.” he said. “I will discuss with our state managers
the need to involve workers in those critical planning deci
sions that deal with workload and other working
conditions.”
OPEU has blamed Goldschmidt for ignoring its requests
despite his support for unions during his campaign. Fie has
realized the strength of OPEU and will be more willing to
listen in the future.
Letters
Holiday season
"Tikeyah!" “Tiruah!”
"Shivarem!"
A ram’s horn echoes its shrill
blast through Kugene's streets
on this waion of Elul. a month
of introspect ion, meditation,
ami soul-searching preceeding
It) days of Awe or High Holy
Days and Sukkoth. the biblical
fall harvest. The two major
Jewish renewal celebratings are
I’assover. which begins the tur
ning outward of the year in spr
ing and the High Holy Days,
begining with Kush Hashanah.
initiating a turning inward
period of the fall-winter
Kush Hashanah. the New
Year, also called The Day-of
Kemembrance commemorates
the creation of the world and is
symbolized by the scales of
balance which we find
ourselves upon at this time. Our
task is to look at what is nut in
balance in ourselves and the
community and recognize
places that need transformaton
and turning, or Teshuvah.
Yom Kippur. the Day-of-At
One Ment. is spent in fasting.
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prayer and meditation, where
we revision our life’s path and
directions. We look ut our con
nections to the social-political
world and affirm our respon
sibility to bringing the vision of
clarity and caring into our ear
thly realm.
The High Holy Days prepare
us for the fall harvest festival,
Sukkoth. Having faced our
"shadows" and done inner
cleansing, we bring our offer
ings and reside in booths
(reminding us of life’s imper
manence). pray for winter’s rain
and celebrate in joy. apprecia
tion and thanksgiving.
America’s Thanksgiving
derives largely from the Pilgrim
celebration of Sukkoth.
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Rabbi Hanan Sills
Eugene
Be individuals
This summer, I assessed the
reasons for my letters and their
effects. I’m accused of being in
flammatory. I’m perceived as
rude and inconsiderate toward a
large section of the University
students.
My editors feel that my
satirical form of writing is now
more black humor. It's too
realistic; people no longer
laugh at themselves, and hence
miss the point and won't
change their offensive behavior.
I'll eradicate in myself what
bothers others.
1 would like to extend my
condolences to all bartenders in
l,ane County. I was a bartender
this summer and 1 saw college
kids o’plenty and they 're asses
Just because they spend money,
they feel they can treat you like
manure.
The Greeks are the worst. Not
only are they asses, but they
also get a rubber nipple off beer
and their swinging pool sticks
They bitch, moan and pound on
the bar until helped. (Not all do.
though.)
Advice to new students:
While looking at the various
houses, check into their racist
backgrounds. Why they really
do charity work.
Ask about other
miscellaneous social re
quirements. These re
quirements might exclude peo
ple on the basis of skin or status,
and might one day even force
you to act like an ass. Don't ex
pect them to volunteer this in
formation. They don't bend
over and show these dirty and
smelly habits at first.
Therfore, watch them closely
for a term and you will see the
cracks in their seams.
To Buffy and Skippy already
in the system, you don’t have to
have the same clothes, haircut
and nose job to fit in. Wake up!
This is America. Break the
mold. Be individuals.
Blake Louis Sliter
Political science/EngIi*h
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