Last Tuesday's article, 'New Union policy could afford benefits to more employees,' shows one thing to be true: the Wisconsin Union administration will promise anything in its attempt to pass a resolution next month to fund the Wisconin Union Master Plan by drastically increasing student segregated fees.
Last April, students voted down a referendum to fund the plan for the Master Plan. My union, AFSCME local 171, worked with SLAC, the TAA and other student labor supporter to defeat the referendum.
The Memorial Union has long been one of the worst abusers of Limited Term Employees on campus, and we saw this as a way to pressure them to clean up their act. The statements by WUD officials and Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier are spin designed to reassure students that they have every intention of treating workers honorably 'next year,' so you can vote for the Master Plan referendum to raise your seg fees $192 without rewarding LTE abuse.
LTE's make at least $5,000 less than union represented workers, who also receive a benefit package worth as much as $10,000 a year. LTE's earn as little as $7.25 an hour; these are poverty wages
Vice Chancellor Darrell Bazzell has assembled an LTE Task Force that met for the first time last week. The Task Force will meet once a week until the end of March. It's no coincidence that voting on the referendum to fund the Wisconin Union Master Plan will take place March 28-30.
Last August, Brazzell wrote the president of our statewide union that the UW had no interest in converting LTE's to classified jobs. Now that he needs $90,000,000 in segregated fees, he's set up a task force so he can blow enough smoke on the LTE issue to pass the referendum.
The Wisconsin Union administration wants you to believe they are sincere about stopping LTE abuse because they need your money.
Mark Thomas
AFSCme Local 171
Steward
With spring and summer rapidly approaching, Madison residents are gearing up to enjoy the recreational opportunities that area lakes have to offer.
However, as past seasons would prove, algal blooms caused by high phosphorus levels are sure to once again put a damper on the enjoyment of our natural resources.
The Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG) would like to remind Madison residents of the importance of lake protection issues. The conservation of Madison's lakes is an urgent issue that affects all Madison residents, yet has taken the backseat in elected officials' agendas for far too long.
With more than 80 percent of the lakes in Wisconsin becoming choked with algae just like Lake Mendota, we urge you to let your elected officials know you care about keeping Wisconsin's lakes clean.
Mallory Gillikin
UW-Madison Freshman
WISPIRG Intern
