Tuesday. May 11, 1976
University Daliy Kansan
Pence vows resistance
From page one
Pence said wage increases depended upon productivity and the quality of the work. But the wage increase was largely driven by
"If a worker isn't producing, then he shouldn't receive the raise," he said. "Employee salaries are the largest part of compensation." He could be considered warm when the budget comes up."
Pence said he was willing to work with employees in trying to solve grievances and to make changes in working conditions if issues were raised the commission in a positive manner.
"If the workers are really interested in the overall good of Lawrence, then let's work that way so we can improve conditions without harming them," without sanning the taxpayers," he said.
Other city officials couldn't be reached for comment.
JERRY HUNTER, 1208 New Jersey, a truck driver for the sanitation department, disagreed about workers sentiments supporting a strike.
"Most of the guys down there, they'd want to so on strike," he said.
Hunter said most of the workers supported the affiliation with the Teamsters and were dissatisfied with city efforts to solve grievances.
"Most of the guys feel they're being underpaid and that the work load has gotten harder," he said. "City Hall doesn't really have an understanding with the men."
However, he said, some improvements have been made toward safer working conditions.
Hunter said he thought some charges by city employees that they were harassed by police were false.
"It's half and half," he said. "Some workers bring it on themselves. They don't work with the company."
Hunter said he didn't know about the 27-point resolution.
KEMPTON LINDQUIST, 1306 New Hampshire, sanitation worker, said most workers were familiar with the 27-point resolution, but some didn't know about it because there had been no concrete changes in working conditions.
"They don't feel there have been any changes that affect them on the job." Lindquist said. "The safety and packaging programs aren't enforced."
Some of the equipment didn't pass the February inspection by the highway patrol, he said, yet it still hasn't been repaired to meet minimum standards.
"City management isn't really interested in the safety of the workers," Lindquist said. "They're interested in higher productivity."
He said most workers think they're working harder and getting paid less since the city adopted the eight-hour work day. Before the new work day was established, sanitation workers were able to go home once the routes had been completed. Now
workers are required to stay at work regardless of when the route is completed.
A ROUTE TAKES about six hours to complete, Lindquist said, and most men think it isn't worth the effort to get the job done when they have to stay at work.
"Most feel that if they have a funky job like picking up garbage, they should be alike."
Lindquist said another grievance the city hadn't resolved was pay raises.
--also dissatisfied with the city's resolution to solve gravences and support the affiliation
"The pay scale isn't distributed equally and raises are delayed," he said.
The city set up an evaluation program under the resolution, whereby a new workers was evaluated after the first six months and other workers were evaluated
Lindquist said that under the program, workers were supposed to receive raises if they were not paid.
"There are many guys who passed the annual evaluation and didn't receive a raise," he said. "They said they had run out of money in the budget."
"Dennis (Smith) received the ultimate harassment." he said.
LNUDIST SAID charges by city employees that her were harassed by the police.
Smith was dismissed in April, city officials said, because back problems prevented him from conducting his dismissal on grounds that his civil rights were violated. Smith contends that he was dismissed because he was unable to pay the workers' salary to affiliate with the Teamsters.
However, Lindquist said, charges by some city officials that employees had harassed other employees to force them into affiliating with the union are false.
"If a man didn't want to, we just dropped it," he said. "There were a few who weren't."
Lindquist said 65 per cent of the workers in the sanitation department supported them.
"We BELT WE needed a group to represent us and give us support," he said. "We want to be treated as equals. We're not subject to the paternalistic attitude of management."
Lindquist said he disagreed that a strike was inevitable.
"That would be the ultimate last resort after a breakdown in communication over a contract," he said. "What we really want is a contract."
"A strike hurts both management and labor."
Michael Cheek, 1805 Maple Lane,
foreman of the sanitation workers, said that some of the worker grievances were leitimate, but that others weren't.
The 27-point resolution shows that the city has tried to straighten out some of the wails.
He said he agreed that the eight-hour work day was a legitimate grievance.
Cheek said he disagreed, however, with worker demands for recognition and a new contract.
"I WOULD RATHER see the city and
"workers work it out themselves," he said.
If everybody would be fair and quit yelling
to get something they might be able to
get something settled.
"I don't think the city should have to recognize them to work things out—just follow the rules."
Check said he disagreed that employees were harassed by management.
"I'm not defending management, but a lot of the issues of harassment were brought up by guys not wanting to do their jobs," he said.
Employees had put pressure on other employees to affiliate with the Teamsters,
"Sure there is pressure to affiliate," he said. "You have one employee who wants to go ahead and do a good job and another who tells him not to."
Some workers in other departments are
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"The resolution looks fine on paper, but I'd like to see it in practice." Gallagher said.
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RICH GALLAGHER, 446 Alabama, worker for the parks and recreation department, said the insurance was the only one in the group with the 13 points listed in the progress report.
He said that favoritism of some workers over others was present in the department. "If a supervisor doesn't like you, they'll demand that make you go," Gallager said.
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