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.
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