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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 16, 2002)
March continued from page 1 plans to lay down the framework for how collective bargaining will work. To do that, PCUN is negotiat ing with NORPAC, a company that buys from growers, and then packs, processes and sells their goods. “In Oregon, there are presently no laws that create a framework for col lective bargaining for farmworkers,” NORPAC spokesman Brian Bell said. PCUN and NORPAC are work ing together to establish a frame work. However, state law will pro vide workers the most protection, so PCUN and NORPAC and other groups are working with Gov. John Kitzhaber to create a bill to introduce to the Oregon Legisla ture in 2003. Since its inception, PCUN has been campaigning against NOR PAC, trying to get the company to negotiate with farmworkers. The two groups began bargaining in February, Nicholson said, ending a nine-year boycott. The boycott be gan in September 1992. The two groups now hope to be gin a peaceful, cooperative effon. “Most of the farmworkers experience living conditions that the public can barely imagine.” Erik Nicholson PCUI\1 coordinator “We want to be allies with NOR PAC,” Nicholson said. “It’s going to take a lot of time to build a rela tionship between us, but we’re tak ing some important first steps in that direction.” One of those steps is the com bined efforts of NORPAC and PCUN to get a law passed. As there is no legal protection for workers, they are vulnerable to un just treatment, Bell said. The mistreatment led workers to begin campaigning against and boycotting NORPAC, as the com pany has the power to help work ers stop the unfair treatment, Bryant said. “We still have issues in making sure farmworkers make minimum wage,” Nicholson said. “Most of the farmworkers experience living conditions that the public can bare ly imagine.” He added that farmworkers have had to pay for the “right to work on a farm.” and there has also been some physical violence against workers, he said. Others say their concern with the mistreatment of the workers is what inspires them to help, and what makes the cause so important. “We need to be able to pay farm workers good wages so they can support their families, but it’s more than that,” Bryant said. “It’s dignity.” Contact the reporter atjilliandaley@dailyemerald.com. Loans continued from page 1 vantage of the new rates. Consoli dated loans are fixed based on the rate at the time and can’t be recon solidated. Also, “If you’re in school and you consolidate, you lose your grace pe riod on your loan,” Burgett said. “If you decrease your monthly pay ment with a consolidated loan, you may end up paying longer.” I . Burgett added that the benefits of loan consolidation depend on how much a borrower can spend per month repaying. Variable rates for federal student loans are based on the three-month Treasury bill. Adjusted each year on July 1, each new rate remains in effect for 12 months. Alternately, consolidated loan rates depend on a formula that weighs the average of the borrow er’s current loans and rounds up to . ..— —. m . , , , , the nearest one-eighth percent. The rate then remains static throughout the life of the loan. According to Carol Wirthman, a student loan regional manager with U.S. Bank, now is the time for stu dents enrolled in classes to apply. “It is a good time to get new loans,” she said. “The rate is the lowest it’s ever been.” Contact the reporter at janmontry@dailyemerald.com. Adam Jones Emerald Along with plans for a new federal courthouse, the land between Franklin Boulevard and the railroad tracks northwest of campus has been looked at as a possible location for a new indoor sports arena. Development continued from pagel councilors will take into considera tion the findings of the Eugene Plan ning Commission, which is current ly working on courthouse plans. Two months ago, the commis sion received word from Williams that the University was interested in the land. But without any actual data, commission members re moved the proposed development from their plans for the courthouse area June 25. “The University asked us to re serve the land, and we said, ‘We can’t do that,”’ commission mem ber Jon Belcher said. Courthouse project manager Nan Laurence said the discussed loca tion could better connect the Uni versity and downtown from a trans portation standpoint, but she noted that the actual design of the arena will prove to be a major factor in the decision-making process. Belcher said the overall hope for the courthouse project is to “en hance the neighborhood,” and therefore, serious consideration will be needed to determine whether a new arena would meet the commission’s goals. The desired location is a prime piece of Eugene property, Belcher said, and added that University de velopment would be a “challenge.” “The University asked us to reserve the land, and we said‘We can’t do that.’” Jon Belcher Eugene Planning Commission member Commission member Charles Rusch, the primary proponent of the plan, said he still has concerns about possible parking problems and whether an arena at the' location could serve as a multi-use facility. “It’s not dead by any means,” said Rusch, who compared the project to a new, Si 10 million are na at Michigan State University. “I think the idea has a lot of good things about it.” Rusch said that discussion like ly won’t progress until the com mission and city councilors re ceive word about whether the University still hopes to develop the land. Talks up to this point have had the city and the Univer sity as project partners, with the understanding that a project of this magnitude would require private donations, Rusch said. Williams said any plans — which have become much more of a priori ty with the recent success of the men’s and women’s basketball teams — are only in conceptual stages right now and completion of a project such as this couldn’t be finished until 2005 at the earliest. McBride said the University hopes to keep a new arena close to campus, and he added that other possible locations include land which now serves as Autzen Stadi um’s parking lot or other Universi ty-owned land. Contact the sports editor at bradschmidt@dailyemerald.com. fr€EHO 4 I I Locally owned LUBE, OIL, FILTER • Chassis Lube • New Oil Filter • Up to 5 Qts. 10W-30 Chevron Oil • Clean Front Window • Vaccuum Front Floor Boards • No Appointment necessary • Most light cars & trucks • 3/4 or 1-ton & Extra Cab Trucks Additional Chevron MOTOR OIL POU* m THt WOTICTIOM DOWNTOWN 1320 Willamette • 485*2356 2975 West 11th 344-0007 • OPEN Sundays 11*4 August 3,4&7 at the Hult! Oregon Festival of American Music 2002 presents the smash hit Gershwin musical comedy Crazy for Si CRAZY DAYS SALE Save 20-80% on discontinued styles and colors Many brands offered: Birkenstock (a few) Dansko Clarks Simple Naot Ecco Teva and more! Fri, July 19 through Sun, July 21 Sunday Savings Save an additional 20% on remaining Crazy Days merchandise. Garage Sale Choose from our selection of previously worn or slightly flawed shoes. Sorry, we cannot special order shoes at the sale price, take mail or phone orders, put sale shoes on hold or layaway, or take returns on Crazy Days sales shoes FOOTWISE THE BIRKENSTOCK STORE 181 E Broadway Downtown Eugene Mon - Sat 10-6 and Sun 11-5 342-6107
