University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Associated Students of the University of Montana Montana Kaimin, 1898-present (ASUM) 5-10-1979 Montana Kaimin, May 10, 1979 Associated Students of the University of Montana Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy . Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/studentnewspaper Recommended Citation Associated Students of the University of Montana, "Montana Kaimin, May 10, 1979" (1979). Montana Kaimin, 1898-present. 6837. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/studentnewspaper/6837 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM) at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Montana Kaimin, 1898-present by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Bargaining disputes prompt UTU picket line By CHRIS VOLK Richard Barrett, assistant pro­ Regents and the UM administra­ last week's sessions, he said the The bargaining council — the Montana Kaimin Reporter fessor of economics and president tion and the UTU negotiating team management team agreed to con­ UTU bargaining team's advisory of the University Teachers' Union, was held yesterday afternoon in sider the union's proposal on body composed of one represen­ A group of University of Monta­ said the “informational picket" was Main Hall. retrenchment — which includes tative from each school and de­ na faculty members picketed in held to express the UTU’s dissatis­ the firing of tenured faculty be­ partment — met Tuesday night front of Main Hall yesterday after­ faction with the UM management’s ‘No movement’ cause of a lack of funds. and asked the representatives to noon carrying signs that read collective bargaining proposals. But after the session, UTU “We've got a verbal commitment have members of their depart­ "contract now" and “this year’s pay A bargaining session between bargaining leader Ron Perrin said from the management team that ments Or schools sign a petition this year." representatives from the Board of he was “very frustrated and disap­ they'll consider our concepts on yesterday morning endorsing the pointed.” retrenchment,” Perrin said. UTU’s position. “They increased their money The UTU team presented a About 1:30 yesterday afternoon, offer for this year by $20 and proposal yesterday that outlined the representatives brought their decreased it for next year by $20," specific conditions that must exist signed petitions to the bargaining Perrin said. He claimed that there before tenured faculty could lose session meeting room on the was “essentially no movement” by their jobs or programs could be second floor of Main Hall. Perrin the management team to come eliminated. Barrett said the man­ said it was "remarkable” that over closer to an agreement with the agement's proposal on retrench­ 300 faculty signed the petition faculty. ment was vague and could allow yesterday morning. Both Perrin and Barrett indicat­ administrators to make cuts too Jack Noble, deputy commis­ ed that it is urgent that the teams easily. sioner of higher education for settle on a contract soon. Perrin said the union's retrench­ financial affairs and spokesman "We do not believe that these ment proposal is "flexible,” but for the management team, said he negotiations should drag on into added that the faculty feel "very thought the session went "pretty the summer," Barrett said. "By strongly” about having a well well.” stringing out the negotiations, defined retrenchment policy writ­ “I think we have a disagreement management is avoiding the hard, ten into the final contract. on retrenchment,” Noble said. nasty administrative decisions that "But we’re going to evaluate the have to be made. If we drag along Faculty support UTU’s position." for the next two years without any He said faculty members feel so He said the Board of Regents attrition, then the next time we go strongly about the retrenchment would have to direct him about to the Legislature, we'll be talking policy that over 75 percent of them what counter proposal he will be about 25 cuts.” signed a petition about it yesterday able to make on the retrenchment Attrition is the elimination of morning. issue. faculty positions by not replacing “Over 300 faculty signed a faculty members who have left. petition supporting the UTU posi­ Wrapping things up "We just cannot continue to tion on salaries and retrench­ “I did tell Perrin that I will make finance the university through cuts ment,” Perrin said. • Cont. on p: 6. in our salaries,” Barrett said. "The administration cannot keep on avoiding the problem that posi­ tions will have to be eliminated.” ■ montana He said that the UTU proposal involves eliminating positions to increase the amount of money available for salaries, while the management proposal does not. kaimin But while Perrin said the sides Thursday, May 10,1979 Missoula, Mont. Vol. 81, No. 100 were as far apart as they were after ‘Who Owns the West?’ MICHAEL KUPILIK, assistant professor of economics, pickets In front of State urged to learn from past Main Hall yesterday as part of a protest against the current state of By HYMN ALEXANDER Montana is rich in natural resour­ Saturday at the Crystal Theatre. faculty contract negotiations. Dennis O'Donnell, associate professor of Montana Kaimin Contributing Reporter ces, the people of the state have Hames, whose family home­ economics, participates in the background. (Staff photo by Clair never had the capital to develop steaded near the Bitterroot River in Johnson.) Montanans must assume control them. He said that while eastern 1885, predicted the state is going over their destiny and not repeat interests have taken Montana to become much more colonial. Bronson advocates past mistakes if the state is to break resources, the state has never The family ranch is disappearing out of the colonial mold and still been adequately reimbursed for because it is becoming too expen­ maintain the character and beauty them. sive to operate, he said, adding ASUM participation that is Montana. Toole said he believes history that out-of-state interests are buy­ That was the message presented moves in cycles, but that in Monta­ ing much of the land. A partial in the first of four panels exploring na the cycles have all been bad. He solution would be a change in. in state budget study the topic of “Who Owns the West?" said that if Montanans do not put property tax laws, he said. By JEFF MCDOWELL sity system and the Board of The four-day conference, spon­ an end to eastern control of the Montana Kaimin Reporter Regents. The regents now are sored by the Committee for West­ state they will lose their state. Optimistic future fairly independent of the Legisla­ ern Studies at the University of However, he said "the time has Doig said relief for Montana lies ASUM should participate in the ture, he said, except that the Montana, will also feature movies, come when we must .pxert some with lower levels of government. legislative interim study which will Legislature can “cut them off at the a dance and theater production control over our own destiny, and He said government policies and try to find a different way to budget pocketbook." He said there are and readings by local authors and with the state laws we now have, the economic order seem to foster money for the Montana University some legislators who want to poets. the time has come when we can.” the large farms that Hames men­ System, former ASUM lobbyist Bill change this so they also can An overflow crowd in LA 11 He said university students must tioned. Bronson told Central Board yes­ control what is taught in the six yesterday heard K. Ross Toole, take the lead in saving the state. Both Vance and Hampton were terday afternoon. units of the university system. professor of history, moderate a optimistic about Montana’s future. Bronson, in his final report to the Bronson and Mike Dahlem, who panel composed of A. B. Guthrie, Learning lessons Vance said that “We now have the board, also said that in the next few both worked as ASUM lobbyists at Jr., author of "The Big Sky" and Guthrie, who lives in Choteau, political power to have things the years competition will be tight for the Legislature this year, said their Pulitzer Prize winner, and Ivan said he is worried about the way we want it.” If nothing limited state revenue, and that effort was "moderately success­ Doig, author of “This House of eagerness of some Montanans to changes, he explained, the situa­ ASUM should work to build a ful." They said they worked to have Sky.” Doig's book has been nomi­ give the state away. He said recent tion “must be the way we want it.” statewide political base by helping the interim budget study set up nated for a National Book Award. state legislation designed to speed In the question-and-answer to elect legislative candidates who and also in getting university Also on the panel were John the construction of Colstrip 3 and 4 period, Toole was asked if publicly support the university system. appropriations bills passed, in­ Vance, a former Missoula official was an “attempt to subvert the owned utilities could operate in Bronson spoke at a CB meeting cluding an additional $150,000 for and lawyer, now a professor of law process of justice by overturning Montana. He replied that he doubt­ in the ASUM conference room. the University of Montana re­ at the University of Toledo: Hob previous legislation.” ed public utilities would be eco­ The meeting was held at ,4 p.m.