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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2001)
Workers take on Oregon University System ■ Representatives from different unions held a rally Thursday to discuss problems facing OUS employees By Brooke Ross Oregon Daily Emerald Workers around the world unite. Several speakers voiced that theme during the United Labor for Workers’ Rights Rally, held Thurs day in the EMU Amphitheater. The Service Employees Interna tional Union/Oregon Public Em ployees Union Local 503 sponsored the event, which highlighted the is sues in the contract renegotiations currently in progress between the Oregon University System and its classified employees. Dozens of people gathered at the rally, including representatives from the Human Rights Alliance, the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federa tion and a number of other groups. Cheri Smith, a University under graduate receptionist for the com puter and information science de partment and president of the SEIU/OPEU Local 85 in Eugene, said the OUS has been making drastic proposals that would de crease classified employees’ job se curity. She said they want to in crease layoffs, decrease overtime pay and hire temporary workers in stead of full-time employees. “It’s a big issue nationwide,” she said. “There’s labor struggles going on all over Lane County right now, and we’re trying to point out where some of the struggles are.” Smith said the OUS employs more than 25,000 classified employ ees, including workers in food serv ice, accounting and health services. She said those employees are bar gaining with the OUS for working *» « .... I Adam Amato Emerald Two unidentified supporters, along with a number of others, sit in the EMU Amphitheater Thursday to watch the United Labor for Workers* Rights Rally. improvements, such as reasonable wages and fully paid health care. “When you take one of us on, you take us all on,” she said. Bart Lewis, a University account ing clerk and a member of SEIU/OPEU Local 85, said many of these labor struggles are a result of state budget cuts. He said in addi tion to wages, employees are also bargaining for adequate health in surance because OUS is looking to decrease its coverage. “Employers are either denying health coverage or making workers pay a greater percentage,” he said. Kathie Best, president of the SEIU/OPEU Local 503, said wages are also a serious issue. She said there are currently OUS employees who qualify for government assis tance because they do not make enough money. “Unfortunately, there isn’t enough value placed on people who are willing to work hard,” she said. “There’s more and more need for unions in this country to protect the rights of workers.” State Sen. Tony Corcoran, D-Cot tage Grove, a member of the SEIU/OPEU Local 503, also attend ed the rally to show his support and update the crowd on recent employee victories. He said the state Legislature recent ly signed a health maintenance organ ization reform bill which will eventu ally give workers more rights con cerning their health-care coverage. “We signed it finally, after eight years,” he said. Corcoran said classified employ ees need support because University labor issues affect the entire campus. “If you’re a public employee or student you need to start paying at tention,” he said. Virtual Office Systems Inc. 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Specs subject to chance. u\y\\Aoseoraputers.cohi 0119671 'NanrTraditwnal Student ‘End of tfie year Celebration ‘Monday, June 4tfi 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. ‘Bmw&ing K^mni in die 'IKnigtit Library %yl& 'Welamw! Sponsored by ASUO, Office of Student Life, Returning Students Association, Student Parent Association and Women’s Center. Join us for food and CONVERSATION AS WE CELEBRATE OUR MUTUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR Oregon Daily Emerald P.O. Box 3159, Eugene OR 97403 The Oregon Daily Emerald is published daily Monday through Friday during the school year and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the Uni versity of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. A member of the Associated Press, the Emerald operates independently of the University with offices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is pri vate property. The unlawful removal or .use.of papers js. prosecutable fly law.. . NEWSROOM — (541)346-5511 Editor in chief: Jack Clifford Managing editor: Jessica Blanchard Community: Aaron Breniman, editor. Lindsay Buchele, Sue Ryan, reporters. Freelance: Jenny Moore, editor. Higher education: Andrew Adams, editor Brooke Ross, Hank Hager, reporters. Student activities: Emily Gust, editor. Kara Cogswell, Beata Mostafavi, Lisa Toth, reporters. News aide: Ben Lacy. Perspectives: Michael Kleckner, editor RebercaNewell, Pat Payne, Aaron McKenzie, Casey Holdahl, columnists. Pulse: Bevin Caffery, editor. Dave Depper, reporter. Sports: Jeff Smith, editor. Peter Hockaday, Adam Jude, Robbie McCallum, reporters. Copy: Sara Lieberth, Katie Mayer, copy chiefs. Jessica Davison, Michael Kleckner, Julie Lauderbaugh, Lori Musicer, Jessica Richelderfer, copyeditors. Online: Carol Rink, editor. Timur Insepov, webmaster. Design: Katie Miller, editor. Brooke Mossefin, Sean Graf, Russ Weller, designers. Bryan Dixon, Giovanni Salimena, illustrators. Photo: Tom Patterson, editor. Adam Amato, Jon House, R. Ashley Smith, photographers. BUSINESS — (541) 346-5512 Judy Riedl, general manager. Kathy Carbone, business supervisor. Sarah Goracke, receptionist. Masahiro Kojima, John Long, Jeff Neely, Laura Ramelli, Mike Chen distri bution. CLASSIFIEDS — (S41) ^46-4^ Trina Shanaman, manager. Katy Hagert, Amy Richman, Laura Staples, assistants. ADVERTISING — (541) 346-3712 Becky Merchant, director. Doug Hentges, Katie Harsany, Nicole Hubbard, Trevor Kuhn, Jesse Long, Chau Nguyen, Adam Rice, Hillary Schultz, Chad Verly, Lisa Wood, sales representatives. Erin O'Connell, Van Nguyen, assistants. PRODUCTION — (541)^46-4381 Michele Ross, manager. Tara Sloan, coordinator. Laura Chamberlain, Cassie Keller, Melissa O’Connell, Laura Paz, Ross Ward, designers.
