RESEARCH Kero Kero Bonito brings unique show to Paradise Rock Club Lantagne Lab seeks global see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 4 water sanitation solutions Women’s soccer drops 2nd game of season SEE FEATURES / PAGE 3 see SPORTS / BACK PAGE THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF TUFTS UNIVERSITY EST. 1980 HE UFTS AILY VOLUME LXXVIII, ISSUE 37T T D MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS. TUESDAY, OCtoBER 29, 2019 tuftsdaily.com Dining workers praise new Arts and Sciences in surplus, but contract, say problems remain TUSM, SMFA remain in deficit by Alexander Thompson and Bella Maharaj sions as the key sticking points last spring as by Alexander Thompson News Editor and Assistant News Editor both sides prepared for a strike. News Editor When the agreement was finally reached, Dining workers across campus say they are the wage increases and healthcare benefits After three years of million-dollar deficits very pleased with the benefits, rights and pro- were considerable. and austerity, Dean of the School of Arts and tections they won in their first collective bar- Workers received a wage increase of $1.25 Sciences James Glaser said that the School gaining agreement with Tufts, which was finally per hour upon the ratification of the agree- of Arts and Sciences (A&S) is projected to signed by university officials on June 7. Since ment in April and will see raises of 95 cents run a small surplus in the current fiscal year. that time, workers have filed numerous griev- an hour next summer and $1 in both 2021 However, every one of Tufts’ other schools is ances against the university, saying the prob- and 2022. projecting a deficit for this fiscal year. lems with managers and scheduling persist. During rallies and marches last spring, The School of Engineering, the School of The contract includes substantial wage workers often spoke of annual raises of a the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts (SMFA) and increases, new healthcare options and robust couple cents under the old merit pay system. the School of Medicine (TUSM) will all likely provisions protecting against harassment and As for healthcare, the contract stipulates run deficits; the Friedman School of Nutrition discrimination — the issues that sparked the that in January 2020, workers will be able to Science and Policy and the Cummings School workers’ movement to organize. switch from their current Tufts Health Plan of Veterinary Medicine had more minor Lead Dining Customer Service Assistant insurance offered through the university to deficits last fiscal year, according to Thomas KELVIN MA / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES Dean of Arts and Sciences James Glaser poses Grazia DiFabio, who played a leading role in a plan run by Local 26, which many workers McGurty, Tufts’ vice president for finance and for a portrait at Ballou Hall on June 12, 2014. the contract campaign, was succinct when say will substantially reduce their healthcare the university’s treasurer. describing why she is pleased with the new costs. That reduction comes in large part The A&S, Tufts’ largest constituent school the Collaborative Learning and Education contract. because the contract requires Tufts to pay in terms of enrollment and revenue, ran defi- Complex to renovations of residence halls “Life is better. I’ve got more money,” 75% or 85% of contributions depending on cits of $2.2 million in the last fiscal year that and Barnum Hall as well as rising financial she said while swiping ID cards in Dewick which plan workers select, and these rates ended in June, $2.4 million the year before and aid costs. MacPhie Dining Center. will increase to at least 85% and 95% by 2023. $1.6 million in fiscal year 2017, Glaser wrote in Glaser also cited the new union contract The agreement, which came within days of Dahlia Rudavsky, a partner at the Newton, an email statement to the Daily. with Tufts Dining workers’ union as a source the strike in the fall, caps off more than a year Mass. firm Messing, Rudavsky and Weliky, Glaser wrote that surpluses are projected of financial strain. of negotiations between the UNITE HERE which specializes in labor law, analyzed the to continue this year through fiscal year 2024. However, Glaser said that the sorry state of Local 26, the union that represents the dining Tufts Dining workers’ contract for the Daily The crux of A&S’s budget woes came Tufts’ buildings was hamstringing faculty and workers, and the university. Union negotiators from several building projects ranging from and university officials cited economic provi- see CONTRACT, page 2 the Science and Engineering Complex and see BUDGET, page 2 TCU Senate hears 12 supplementary funding requests by Madeleine Aitken be fed. That’s just the safe thing to do,” Iyra benefit as many individuals as possible,” first- amount of money needed to fund its events. Staff Writer Chandra, a senator from the Class of 2022 year Senator Sarah Tata said. The International Club had previously been and an ALBO member, said. The National Society of Black Engineers granted funds for a pumpkin carving event, Members of the Tufts Community Union The Association of Latin American Students requested $6,488 to cover transportation, lodg- but after deciding to change it to a Día de (TCU) Senate met Sunday evening in the (ALAS) is holding an event at Rosa Mexicano ing and registration. ALBO recommended a Los Muertos Celebration, they asked for more Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room to discuss in Boston for about 70 people. They asked for figure of $5,840, which was then granted by money. They plan to use the money previously Allocations Board (ALBO) funding. $3,090 to pay for the venue, and TCU Senate TCU Senate. allocated to them for decorations, and request- There were 12 supplementary funding approved this amount. Children of Cultures of Africa (COCOA) ed $285 for food and $250 for activity supplies. requests from clubs and organizations pre- The annual conference organized by needs new costumes for its performances Students for Environmental Awareness is sented, discussed and voted on by senators. All Alliance Linking Leaders in Education and the this year. holding a forest cleanup event in the Middlesex requests passed, with some amendments to Services (ALLIES) is growing, and the organiza- “They have a theme for their shows every Fells on Nov. 3 and requested $100 for trans- monetary amounts. In all, TCU Senate allocat- tion needs more money than they did in past year, which is why costumes are within their porting people to the location. ALBO, however, ed $22,882 to those who requested funds. years. They asked for $2,402 to cover speak- annual budget rather than within five years. recommended $90, which TCU Senate granted. The Crafts Center was granted a total er costs, plus $4,700 for food, which includes They’re very specific to whatever theme they’re “We were trying to contemplate different of $553, $250 of which will go to repairing catering from various stores and restaurants as doing. I think last year they had a very modern transportation methods in order to avoid hav- five pottery wheels and a pug mill, and the well as meal tickets for on-campus dining halls. theme, but this year they want to do a more ing them take Ubers, but I personally thought rest of which will be dedicated to replacing TCU Senate granted the full $7,102. traditional African theme,” Associate Treasurer that taking Ubers is probably the most accept- equipment. TCU Senate made an exception to the usual and ALBO member Insiya Naim said. able way for students to actually participate The Tufts Dance Collective (TDC) request- six-person cap on off-campus event funding Additionally, TCU Senate reviewed COCOA’s in this event, because not everyone will be ed an additional $750 for pizza for its dancers for The National Society of Black Engineers, entire budget, which included the funds need- able to drive themselves or walk to the Fells,” between performances in its spring show to which will attend a regional conference in ed for its spring general interest meeting, team Naim said. match funding for previous years. Niagara Falls. activities, competition fees, transportation for Senate also allocated a total of $2,560 to per- “The way that the shows are set up, which “We told them about the six-person cap competitions and performances and renting forming groups, in line with ALBO recommen- is not really negotiable, is that there’s a show and we asked why they want to send more and Cohen Auditorium for its spring showcase. dations. ALBO and TCU Senate both approved at 4 p.m. and a show at 9 p.m. the same they said it’s a very individual event where they They requested a total of $2,480 to cover these the Tufts Observer’s request for $120 for an RSS day, and so the dancers have to stay there grow as individuals rather than just learning events, and TCU Senate gave them $1,772 since feed, as well as Tufts Financial Group’s $470 from 4 to 9, essentially, and they need to something they can bring back, so they want to the organization is currently unsure of the exact request for alumni gifts. 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