Archive for March, 2008
Judge dismisses voting requirement
By Emily Barton, written on Mar. 26, 2008
A judge dismissed a portion of a primary election law this afternoon that gave the Republican and Democratic parties access to voter information and forbid any other organization from accessing lists of primary voters and their party affiliation.
The law was passed in August 2007.
The complaint was filed in January, and lists the Libertarian Party, the Green Party of Michigan, the Reform Party of Michigan and the Metro Times and Winning Strategies, a political consulting firm, as plaintiffs. They were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan.
Judge Nancy Edmunds issued an opinion claiming the secrecy requirement violated the rights of third parties to have equal access.
“The State is not required to provide the party preference information to any party,” she said in the statement. “When it chooses to do so, however, it may not provide the information only to the major political parties.”
Athletic Dept. reverses field, rescinds new football ticket policy
By Chris Herring, written on Mar. 24, 2008
Facing criticism for a new policy that would have given incoming freshmen seating priority over some graduate students at football games, the Athletic Department has now scrapped the plan.
Originally, the policy would have given first priority to undergraduate seniors and then to graduate students who obtained degrees from the University. The thing that infuriated some, though, was what priority other graduate students would have received. Through the original plan, grad students who obtained degrees at others schools would have had the lowest priority — even below incoming freshmen.
According to the e-mail, sent earlier this afternoon to the student body, the policy will now give priority to students with the most credit hours.
The Athletic Department said one policy change would remain. Because of student ticket demand, the department will not offer partner tickets for a student’s spouse, child or domestic partner as it has in the past.
Student tickets are on sale at www.MGoBlue.com/tickets until this Friday, March 28 at 5 p.m.
SOLE hosts ‘Behind the Label’ labor rights discussion
By Andy Kroll, written on Mar. 24, 2008
By Geoffrey Gaurano
Daily Staff Reporter
Speaking in front of about 80 students and faculty members Friday, two former Dominican sweatshop workers criticized the lack of labor standards and abundance of corruption in factory work.
Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality, the campus labor rights group better known as SOLE, hosted Julio Castillo and Manuel Pujols to discuss the violations and exploitations of factory laborers around the world. Prior to Castillo and Pujols’s talk, SOLE members addressed those in attendance, explaining the University’s practice of using sweatshops to produce University-logo shirts.
The group urged students to pressure the administration to switch to “Fair Tees,” which are shirts made in factories with ethical labor practices.
Castillo and Pujols, two factory workers from the TOS Dominicana factory, which is owned by Hanesbrands Inc., spoke about the unfair treatment they’ve received from factory managers and also from Hanesbrands Inc.
“The truth about Hanes is that they claim to respect worker’s rights, but it’s untrue,” Castillo said.
Both Castillo and Pujols reported unfair treatment from their management, including breaching of their labor contracts. They said workers there are forced to work more hours, aren’t paid on time and are paid less than what is agreed upon.
Pujols said the TOS Dominicana factory forces employees to work 12-hour shifts, even though Dominican labor laws don’t allow normal workdays to exceed eight hours. Pujols added that with no paid overtime, lower than agreed upon wages and no benefits, the factory owed workers more than $850,000 in American dollars.
Castillo also said that the factory’s unsafe working environment and materials cause severe respiratory, lung and other health problems for workers.
He claimed the factory’s enclosed spaces and loud machinery have damaged his hearing and that he needs reconstructive eardrum surgery.
The surgery, which will not be covered by his health insurance, is too expensive for Castillo to afford.
“Money does not even cover what is needed to provide for a family,” he said.
Pujols described tactics including bribery, illegal firing, installation of cameras and constant harassment, being used by factory management to stop the formation and continuation of the unions.
“We feel threatened, discriminated and persecuted,” Pujols said.
The factory’s problems prompted Castillo and Pujols to start two unions and stand up for the workers. Castillo said the factory has refused to unionize so far.
United Students Against Sweatshops, a national student labor rights group, sponsored Castillo and Pujols’s visit to the University, which was one stop on a 14-day tour of universities and high schools throughout the country
LSA junior Blase Kearney, a member of SOLE, said companies often decrease production levels at unionized factories, which means sweatshops often try to prevent the workers from organizing in order to maintain production levels.
He explained that unions would increase workers’ wages, causing profit margins for companies to decrease. The companies, he said, would then “cut and run,” pulling their orders and taking them elsewhere.
Kearney said this was how most University apparel was being manufactured, and that even though the University has codes of conduct for labor, which prevents production from taking place in sweatshops, it isn’t being honored.
While the University is looking for alternatives, SOLE is pushing for the University to endorse the Designated Suppliers Program, which would have licensees source university logo apparel from predetermined factories that comply and respect the rights of their employees. Pre-written letters that contained this information were distributed to the audience to be signed, and will also be given to University President Mary Sue Coleman.
The University has so far rejected endorsing the DSP. Coleman’s Advisory Committee on Labor Standards and Human Rights recommended in April 2006 that the University not endorse the program, citing the untried nature of the program, the potential negative consequences of implementing the program and negative impacts on workers not in “designated factories.”
LSA senior Aria Everts, a SOLE member, said the event was very encouraging because of the high attendance.
“It was great to bring an understanding of what workers really face, especially since these students have probably never talked to a sweatshop worker before,” she said.
March Regents meeting
By Julie Rowe, written on Mar. 20, 2008
Earlier today, the University’s Board of Regents met to sign off on new University projects and listen to the reports of University officials and students’ requests.
During the meeting, Michigan Student Assembly president Mohammed Dar spoke briefly about efforts to work with the Student Health Insurance Committee on campus to improve health care coverage for students.
“As many of you know, the plan’s premium has increased in the last few years while enrollment has dropped,” Dar said. “One of the ways that our legislation seeks to partner up is to look at whether or not a minimum level of coverage for students would be appropriate.”
Dar also outlined upcoming MSA events, including next week’s Earth Week, sponsored by the Environmental Issues Commission, and the Disabilities Awareness Week.
Steve Grafton, president of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, detailed the association’s efforts to “engage alumni” and reach out to current students. Among those efforts are the “Welcome Wednesday” events held at the Alumni Center, where current students can get free coffee and bagels and get information about other AAUM programs.
“We brew fresh Starbucks and we also give away bagels, which is another testimony to the fact that if you feed them, they will come,” Grafton said.
Grafton said 938 students attended yesterday’s event — the last of the semester — and invited the regents and University administrators at the meeting to attend in the future.
During the period of the meeting reserved for public comments, Graduate Employees Organization President Helen Ho, a Communication Studies department GSI, read from a letter signed by the GEO urging the Regents to intervene in negotiations between the union and the University administration.
“Our negotiating position is fair and reasonable, and it is in the spirit of shared interests that we express to you our hope that the Board of Regents, the University administration, and GEO can reach a satisfactory resolution of these negotiations in order to avert the mutually undesirable possibility of a work stoppage,” Ho read.
MSA approves spamming rule and supports letter for blood drives
By Daniel Strauss, written on Mar. 19, 2008
The Michigan Student Assembly passed a rule at the most recent meeting prohibiting candidates from sending out massive emails advertising their candidacy during election periods. In a near unanimous vote, the student government ruled that “spamming” students who the candidates do not know or have group connections with (like being in the same club) deserved penalization when polls are open for voting. The ruling will go into effect during the next election because MSA rules put new rulings into affect a few weeks after they have been approved. MSA President Mohammad Dar clearly opposed spamming solicitations and voted against it.
“It’s one of those issues that I felt quite strongly about for quite a while,” he said.
Also at the last meeting the government approved drafting and sending a letter to the Michigan FDA regarding the banning of people who have had homosexual sex since 1977. At Red Cross Blood drives currently, anyone who has is immediately ineligible to give blood regardless of whether they carry HIV.
College Dems serve pancakes, Granholm makes an appearance
By Julie Rowe, written on Mar. 17, 2008
Gov. Jennifer Granholm stopped by the Arbor Brewing Company last Saturday to have pancakes with the University’s chapter of the College Democrats at their annual fundraiser.
During her 20-minute spiel—delivered as she balanced atop a chair—Granholm outlined her plans to bring the renewable energy industry to Michigan, accompanied by a few thousand jobs.
She also called on the College Dems to take a stance on the status of Michigan’s national convention delegates and the possibility of a new contest.
“I would ask for you to consider as College Dems to send a resolution or something to the legislature if you think it’s important to us to have the excitement associated with a primary,” Granholm said. “It’s sort of a tiebreaker even though this whole decision is probably going to go all the way to Denver no matter what.”
The 81-year-old Congressman John Dingell, who sponsored the breakfast, spoke nostalgically about his days as a Young Democrat. His personal gift of $500 accounted for a hefty percentage of the total donations.
“I learned much of what was useful to me when I ran for Congress the first time by my experience in the Young Dems,” Dingell said. “It has stayed with me, as have the friendships I made during that timeframe. It was a wonderful thing, wonderful thing for me, and it meant an awful lot.”
The Congressman then introduced Kate Mulhern, whom he described as “very intelligent” and “very pretty” and attributed both of those qualities to Mulhern’s mother—who is, incidentally, the Governor of Michigan.
Mulhern called her mother her role-model and the hardest-working person she knows.
After a mother-daughter hug, Granholm began her speech by thanking her daughter and asking Mulhern’s peers to go easy on her.
“When she came here we were trying to hide the fact that she was the Governor’s daughter, so please don’t give her grief about it,” Granholm said.
Photos: Angela Cesere/Daily
Michigan Dems closer to primary agreement
By Emily Barton, written on Mar. 14, 2008
Michigan will likely hold a new presidential primary election in June, the Associated Press reported.
After Michigan moved violated party rules and moved its primary before Feb. 5, the Democratic National Committee stripped the state of its delegates, rendering the Jan. 15 election meaningless. The candidates were prohibited from campaigning in the state, and all of the top contenders removed their names from the ballot, with the exception of Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Four Michigan Democrats — Sen. Carl Levin, Democratic National Committee member Debbie Dingell, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger — are negotiating with the campaigns of Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama today to draft a plan to seat Michigan’s delegates. If they do decide on a primary, it will probably be held on June 3.
Granholm has said the state won’t pay for a new election, so plans must be approved quickly to determine how to use private fundraising. Earlier this week, Democratic officials estimated that a replacement election would cost between $8 and $10 million.
Any plan must be approved by both campaigns, the DNC, and Gov. Jennifer Granholm. DNC rules state the primary must be held before June 10.
Possible caucus unlikely to bring economic boost
By Emily Barton, written on Mar. 13, 2008
Now that the Democrats are turning their heads toward Pennsylvania, the state will experience an onslaught of campaign volunteers, reporters and the money they’re spending, the Pennsylvania Inquirer reported.
Would a new caucus or primary bring Michigan the same kind of short but much-needed economic boost?
At first glance it seemed likely — with the delegate count so close, Michigan might finally receive the attention it was looking for in the first place when it moved its primary before Feb. 5.
But the experts disagree.
Rich Robinson, director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, estimated the Democrats would spend about $1 million per week campaigning in the state if a new democratic caucus or primary were held, with most of that money going to televised ads.
Compare that with the $ 2 million spent each week during the 2006 gubernatorial election and it’s only a drop in the bucket of campaign spending, Robinson said. He didn’t think any amount of money spent here would change the race.
“Regardless of what they spend, they won’t move the needle that much in terms of delegates unless someone gets a wide advantage elsewhere,” he said. “This is all going to be sorted out by superdelegates.”
The Michigan Democratic Party is still negotiating with the DNC and both Sen. Hillary Clinton’s and Sen. Barack Obama’s campaigns about whether or not to hold another democratic caucus or primary election.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has said she will not use state funds for a new election, so it’ll be up to the MDP to find the money.
MDP spokeswoman Liz Kerr said a full-fledged caucus would cost somewhere between $8 million and $10 million. She said the party would raise the money solely through fundraising, but how party members will go about this remains a mystery.
Political Science Prof. Mike Traugott said the only economic benefits will go to the local television stations.
An article in TV Week said the Clinton campaign spent $4.6 million total on ads in Ohio and Texas. The Obama campaign spent $8 million.
Traugott said he didn’t think Michigan would draw enough campaign activity in the same way Iowa and New Hampshire did.
What it’ll really come down to is timing, he said.
“I think that there would be more attention devoted to this if it came before Puerto Rico,” he said. “When we get to the end we’ll get a sense of who’s ahead and who’s behind, and it’s unlikely that it’ll affect the outcome of the race. But if it’s before, it’ll have some psychological impact on the race.”
Public Policy Prof. John Chamberlain said there might be some last effort fundraising in the state, but not enough to bolster the economy in any way.
“It’s not going to be a feeding frenzy like there was in Iowa,” he said.
Kevorkian running for Congress?
By Chris Herring, written on Mar. 12, 2008
Jack Kevorkian, the 80-year-old most famously (or infamously) known for assisting many of his patients with suicide, could run for Congress.
This piece in The Oakland Press, which Kevorkian told that he planned to run as an independent in Michigan’s 9th Congressional District, has raised eyebrows since it was published earlier today.
The former physician was sentenced to 10 to 25 years of prison after he was found guilty of second-degree murder — a charge that stemmed from an assisted suicide he filmed and showed on television. He spent eight years in prison before being released last year, when he was paroled.
Kevorkian, who would need at least 3,000 signatures by mid-July to appear on the November ballot, told The Oakland Press the nation needs “some honesty and sincerity instead of corrupt government in Washington.”
He’d be running in the 9th Congressional District, where incumbent U.S. Rep Joe Knollenberg has held the seat for eight terms. Knollenberg is running for reelection.
Major U.S. Universities go global in Saudi Arabia
By Lisa Haidostian, written on Mar. 6, 2008
The University of California at Berkeley, the University of Texas at Austin and Stanford University have all entered into contracts with the newly developed King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, the New York Times reports.
The contracts are worth $25 a million a piece. In exchange for picking the faculty and helping to develop the curriculum, the U.S. universities will receive a $10 million gift, a $10 million research grant to be used on their home campuses and $5 million for research to be performed at the graduate-level Saudi research university.
“The agreement will allow us to improve our facilities here in California, and fund a stream of graduate students, without taxing our existing infrastructure,” said Albert Pisano, the chairman of Berkeley’s mechanical engineering department, which he said had voted 34 to 2 to proceed with the agreement. “We’re going to work on projects that are good for the Middle East and for California, like energy sources beyond petroleum, improved water desalination, and solar energy in the desert.”
Globalizing higher education seems to be the buzz-phrase recently, as President Coleman spends her spring break meeting with African colleges and universities and discussing how the University of Michigan could work with them. Though talk of possible collaboration has been swirling, no official plans have been announced. New York University and Michigan State University will soon be opening outposts in the oil-rich but higher education-lacking United Arab Emirates, and hundreds of other colleges and universities are partnering with institutions in countries like China, India and Singapore.