Thursday
-lent newspaper f __ 4 4
n Daily Emerald
pic Dream • Is this seat taken?
Chad Sonnen competed at the Trials this year, ASUO student senate confirms two new senators fill
and is eyeing the 2004 Olympics. PAGE 5A ing spots vacated at the end of fall term. PAGE 3A
___ Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Is this seat taken?
ASUO student senate confirms two new senators fill
ing spots vacated at the end of fall term. PAGE 3A
January 18,2001
Volume 102, Issue 75
Weather
today
high 40, low 35
Senator blames deregulation for energy shortage
The discussion
yields
suggestions
to hike the
power supply,
including
pressuring
California
to compensate
Oregon for its
contributions
By Lindsay Buchele
Oregon Daily Emerald
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., led a
round-table discussion Wednes
day in Eugene to discuss the re
cent energy crisis with represen
tatives from the utility industry,
consumer and conservation
groups and government officials.
The group agreed that Califor
nia has been taking energy from
Oregon but has not been giving
anything in return.
Wyden held the round-table
discussion in Eugene Water &
Electric Board’s north building to
get ideas of how to increase the
Northwest’s energy supply. Sug
gestions included increasing con
servation methods as well as put
ting pressure on California to
compensate for the energy Ore
gon has provided for the strug
gling state.
Wyden said he wanted proof of
California’s contribution to our
market, believing the deregulated
California market has taken ener
gy that isn’t being compensated
for.
“We cannot let California use
the Northwest as a scapegoat for
its botched energy plans,” Wyden
said. “They are not a good neigh
bor when it comes to the energy
issue.”
Jason Eisdorfer, resident utility
adviser for the Citizens’ Utility
Board, said California has set
aside $250 million for its own
conservation efforts. He suggested
California send a portion of this
money to repay Oregon’s supply.
“California expects us to send
them energy now and in the sum
mer,” Eisdorfer said. “They
should be sending us a p'ortion of
their funds so we can afford to
send the energy.”
Alan Zelenka of the Emerald
Public Utility District suggested
California invest in Oregon’s en
ergy market, and in return, Ore
gon would guarantee to share
power with California.
Another concern raised during
the discussion was how to in
crease Oregon’s generation capac
ity and conserve the low amount
of energy currently being pro
duced.
Wyden suggested helping older
facilities replace slow equipment
and investing in alternative ener
gy sources, such as natural gas.
“By relicensing hydroelectrici
ty, we could get smaller genera
tors more capabilities without
harming the environment,”
Wyden said.
Turn to Power, page4A
WYDEN
Peg Morton, standing before the Federal Building in downtown Eugene, holds a cross bearing the name of a slain
Latin American protesters claim was killed by soldiers trained at the former School of the Americas.
Army institute spawns protest
People gather
downtown in
objection to
the opening of
what they say is
replacing the
old School of
Americas
By Andrew Adams
Oregon Daily Emerald
Using fake blood and drama, a
group of about 25 demonstrators
joined together in front of the Federal
Building in downtown Eugene on
Wednesday morning to protest the
opening of the U.S. Army’s Western
Hemisphere Institute for Security Co
operation at Fort Benning near
Columbus, Ohio.
The protesters say the institute,
whicli opened Wednesday, will serve
the same purpose of the Army’s now
defunct School of the Americas,
which also operated at Fort Benning
and was believed to be the training
ground for dictators and government
death squads operating in Central and
Latin America.
To illustrate their argument, some
activists donned T-shirts with hand
drawn bullet holes, splattered with
fake blood, and lay in front of the Fed
eral Building near the intersection of
Seventh and Pearl streets. Other pro
testers wearing black shawls cried and
wailed over their mock dead bodies.
Eugene resident Portia Foster, who
attended the demonstration on what
was her 80th birthday, said the group
had gathered to protest the brutality
from graduates of the school.
“There’s lots of evidence that gradu
ates of the School of Americas have
been instrumental in death squads,”
she said. “That has no place in the
policies of our country. ”
Army officials have long main
tained that no graduates of the School
of Americas are responsible for the ac
tions the protesters claim they com
mitted. Army officials have also said
Turn to Protest, page 4A
Human Rights Alliance
pickets for worker rights
■The group leads a campus protest in support of
labor strikes against a clothing factory in Mexico
that produces University apparel
By Lisa Toth
Oregon Daily Emerald
Nearly 20 members of the Human Rights Alliance led a
protest Wednesday in front of the University Bookstore, car
rying picket signs and answering students’ questions about
the continuing labor dispute at a Nike-contracted garment
factory that makes University apparel.
According to members of the HRA, the factory workers
took part in a strike that started Jan. 8 at the Korean-owned
Kukdong International-Mexico factory, about 65 miles south
east of Mexico City.
Students at the rally rolled out banners and carried signs
calling for support of the workers and increased education on
worker rights issues.
Reports from the Worker Rights Consortium and United
Students Against Sweatshops said the factory strike occurred
after 20 workers were illegally fired and because of the facto
ry’s failure to pass food inspections in the cafeteria and to pay
workers all of their Christmas bonuses in accordance with
Mexican labor laws.
Since the strike, workers were fired despite promises from
factory management that they would be able to keep their jobs
upon returning to the company.
“The management of the factory is singling out the people
they think led the strike,” said Chad Sullivan, a senior and
HRA member.
Ben Goldman, an HRA member and senior, said this issue
hits close to home because the factory produces some li
censed University apparel. Goldman said the goal of the
protest was to bring awareness to the University about what is
happening overseas.
Sullivan suggested that students call University President
Dave Frohnmayer to ensure that the administration is aware
of concerns about the labor dispute issue.
Sullivan said the WRC is organizing a fact-finding delega
tion to visit the factory and has invited the University to send
one representative this weekend, from Jan. 20 through 22.
“The fact-finding delegation will attempt to ascertain from
both sides the real situation,” Sullivan said.
Matt Dyste, University director of trademark licensing, said
to his knowledge, Nike and the Fair Labor Association also
have representatives en route to monitor the factory situation.
Dyste said until reports are made from observation organi
zations such as Nike, the University is unable to comment on
the situation.
The HRA will host a general interest meeting about the la
bor dispute today at 7:30 p.m. in the Ben Linder Room.
ii The
fact-finding
delegation
will attempt
to ascertain
from both
sides the
real
situation.
Chad
Sullivan
HRA
member//