Workers Unionizing 3 a A, 3 a Maintenance Workers Seek Better Wages, Status by Stephanie Dubick Director, There Are 176 Physical Plant He Said
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SPEC COLL BOXED LD 53 1 8 . A3 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CAKE: SEE STORY PAGE 6 P347 .•*•«! Pdi^ARO Marcti4,1997 Volume 19 Number 21 -M.:^ 4 Workers unionizing 3 a a, 3 a Maintenance workers seek better wages, status By Stephanie Dubick director, there are 176 physical plant he said. StoffWriter employees at UTSA. According to this employee, the UTSA referred all inquiries to university has not favored this union A growing number of UTSA main- Gabler, who said no employees have membership. "We are encouraged and lenance workers are joining the Na spoken to Jose Gerardo (Lalo) Gomez, advised to get out of the union. The tional Association of Government Associate Vice President for Facility university is against it because the Employees (NAGE), a national labor Operations and Planning about this power plant wants to fun things their union, in hopes of increasing their sala matter. way. They are afraid of power," he ries and improving their status. Although the union fights for all said. The union has helped a few UTSA's NAGE members are orga aspects of equalized labor, the main employees on campus. "Pay raise is nizing to move the union the main thing. The on campus; however, union is a big insur UTSA employees are ance policy for us. It currently prohibited is job security. It is from joining on-campus like climbing the cor labor unions. There are porate ladder. If the no regulations against univcrsity falsely ter joining off-campus labor minates you, the union unions. fights and in most Texas is traditionally cases, wins. I have considered a non-union also seen favoritism state, which means that with supervisors and while union organiza employees. They tions are legal, they are deny favoritism, but it not common. exists," he said. According to one He explained the physical plant employee, union has helped the who requested his name Tara Scottl/The Paisano maintenance workers be withheld, the labor UTSA employees hope the bargaining power of a union secure a day off dur will bring about higher wages and improve status. union mostly consists of ing this semester's physical plant employees. concern is pay. "We make about $5.50 spring break. 'We have never had a A portion of UTSA personnel have per hour. They have taken our cost-of- day off during the break," he said. been members of the NAGE for ap living raise away. Now, the only way The employee said that his griev Jennifer Siu/The Paisano proximately three years and currently to get a pay raise is by work merit. Women's history month kicked off this weekend and included the international women's day ance was not with the work itself, but membership totals 65, according to the New people are making the same march and rally. The march, which was held Sunday, March 2, started at Hemisfair park under wilh the manner in which certain job same source. amount of money as those who have the tower and ended at Milam park, where the rally was held. UTSA has dedicated this week as related issues were handled. "I love According to David Gabler, the been here 15 years," said the attendant. Women's history week. For a full calender of events, see page 4. my job. I like the hours 1 work," he university's external communications "There is no opportunity to step up," said. UTSAPD to implement Roadrunners hatch rape defense course national champion By Jason Moore moves taught in R.A.D. to determine Contributing Writer which ones to use. By Matt Golightly somewhere down the road I'll be fortu R.A.D. will start at UTSA with a Sports Editor nate enough to qualify for the World This semester UTSA police depart pilot course this semester for faculty. Championships again." ment will offer a self-defense course. This program will then be available for As if Tameka Roberts didn't have This is not the first time Rob Rape Aggression Defense systems students in the summer. enough accolades already, she battled erts has caused a stir. As the 1996 .SLC (R.A.D.), for female UTSA students UTSA R.A.D. coordinator. Sergeant a cold while knocking almost a full "Outstanding Track Athlete" in both and staff. Virginia Paccione, and police officers second off her previous indoor best in indoor and outdoor competition, she R.A.D., will provide self-defense Trey Delgado and Elizabeth Varnado the 200 meters to became UTSA's first was the only athlete to compete in instniction for any female' UTSA stu are the instructors for the course. national track and field champion Sat three separate events at the 1996 United dents or staff member who chooses to Paccione states, "This course deals with Jennifer Siu/The Paisano urday in Atlanta, Georgia. States Olympic Trials. TTiis two-time take the course. They can then con very natural, easy moves of self-de The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center was able to collect 75 "I had a really bad headache and AII-American took part in the l(K)m. tinually attend this course to review fense." usable units of blood Thursday in a drive co-sponsored by the was congested," said Roberts. "I even 200m, and the long jump in Atlanta techniques and leam new self-defense TTie only fee involved for the class UTSA Ambassadors and Student Health Services. felt a little weak all day long. I just last year. However. Roberts says thing:, tactics. is a one-time purchase of the R.A.D. thank God I did well becau.se I was have been rather mellow since The R. A.D. course was designed hy manual, which will costapproximately prepared for anything." Saturday's unexpected distinction. officer Lawrence N. Nadeau, of the $10-$15. Students and faculty will be UTSA rallies behind Roberts finished the race in a lime "It's been kind of low key since Virginia State Police, to create a bridge allowed to attend any future courses 23.27 and beat out second place fin Saturday's race. I did a phone inter between crime prevention lectures and free of charge. isher Michele Brown of Kentucky by view withthe Express News and talked basic self-defense martial arts. Nadeau, Paccione describes the moves she .07 seconds and third place finisher to a guy from the Corpus Chrisii paper executive director for R. A.D. Systems, learned in R.A.D. as useful enough to ailing ambassador Chryste Gaines ofthe Nike Track Club and that's about it." recalls Roberts. "I said that the main objective for this help defend against most attackers. by .13 seconds. The top two finishers kind of like it that way. I'm a litlle By Gary Wright course would be, "To develop and en "My partners are a 300 pound ex-pro awareness and encpurage students to qualified for the World Championships shy." Photography Editor participate in the blood drive. hance the options of self-defense so fessional football player and a retired in Paris; however, Roberts will com A kinesiology major in her junior they may become more viable consid navy seal and I was able, with the "The (UTSA) community really pete in the NCAA Indoor Champion Several members ofthe UTSA com year, Roberts transferred here from erations to women who are attacked." instruction of that class, to get out of came together." Tai said. "It (the blood ships in Indianapolis this weekend in munity came out Thursday, Feb. 27, in drive) was supposed to run from Stephen F; .Austin for the 1995 track Nadeau had his mother perform the any moves or holds." stead. support of one of its own. The UTSA 8:00a.m. to 12 p.m., but because ofthe season and. since that time, has helped "I talked to coach (Max) Dillon, Ambassadors, in conjunction with the overwhelming respon.se wc had to ex UTSA to consecutive second place fin and he thought the best thing for me to UTSA Student Health Services, spon tend it to 4:30 p.m." In the end, 75 units ishes at Ihc SLC Championships in Urban universities help sored a blood drive to raise donations of usable blood were collected. do at this point in my career would be to go to Nationals so that's were I'm 1996 and 1997. TTiis season she corn- for Jason Block, ajunior clinical lab For every unit of O positive blood going," explained Roberts. "Mavbe Continued on paqe 8 city centers sciences major and a UTSA Ambassa that the tissue center receives, the cost dor, who suffers from hepatitis A. of that unit is stricken from Block's By Kim A. Lawton Clark. Block was diagnosed on Jan. 2 in medical costs. Inside this American News Service There had long been a certain his home town of Glenrose, Texas, "The fact that people came out in amount of suspicion between Clark admitted to Methodist Hospital on Feb. support of me, it made me cry," said issue... William Breault has lived nearly all and its neighbors, but finally, said 9, and has since been moved to the Block. "Most importantly, people came Features: Women's his life in what he calls thc "hard- Breault, people realized "it was in Prinkle transplant ward at University out to donate the gift of life." History Week nosed" neighborhood in the shadow of every body's interest" to work together. Hospital. Block contracted hepatitis A while calendar, pg. 4 Clark Univcrsity in Worcester, Mass. And so in 1995, the uni versity joined Dr.