KANSAN University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Wednesday. April 8,1981 Vol.91.No.128 USPS 650-640 Seven charge Med Center with discrimination Federal complaint system vexed by backlog Staff Reporter KANSAS CITY, Kan.-Ban employees in the Facilities Operations department at the University of Kansas Medical Center have been verbally harassed and denied promotions by their white administrators and supervisors, while the facilities Operations employees have told the Kansas. At least seven of the 52 black employees in the Med Center Facilities Operations department have filed discrimination complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Yet many of the internal grievances and EEOC complaints have been dismissed, for example, a 178 complaint has yet to be acted on. KU administrators, however, said that the mere filing of several complaints did not prove that discrimination was actually occurring at the Med Center. Lawyers advised three of the seven Med Center complaints not to comment on their complaints. One employee, who no longer engages in Med Center, could not be involved for comment. ONE OF THE MEN who would not comment wrote in his complaint that he was verbally harassed by a white supervisor who walked up to the pharmacy shop yelling "Nigger, nigger, niger." The three men who were willing to talk to the Kansan were Norris Williams, 24, Jerry Taylor, 31, and Dennis Burkham, 34. All three are still employed at the Med Center. Williams, who has worked at the Med Center for three and one-half years, and Taylor, who has From the employees' racial discrimination complaints, several allegations have surfaced: - All three employees said other men with less experience and seniority received promotions on offer. - *Williams*, a general maintenance repair technician, has performed supervisory duties in the building. - Burkhard, a construction worker, said other men were hand-picked by white supervisors for jobs and promotions without having to apply for them. - Taylor, a maintenance carpenter, said that job openings in Facilities Operations were posted without opening or closing dates for the position. But a law firm that violates Kansas City civil service regulations - All three employees said they received bags for which other employees were not criticized. ACTING KU CHANCELLOR Del Shankel said the administration had been involved in ensuring that discrimination was not occurring at the Med Center. Although Shankel said discrimination was not necessarily occurring, several officials at the Med Center confirmed that the allegations were true. The officials, who asked not to be identified, cited a number of discriminatory practices. One practice mentioned was the lack of training and educational opportunities for inmates. However, Gloria Allen, director of employee education at the med Center, said officials were working to correct the lack of minority educational opportunities there. By BRIAN LEVINSON Staff Reporter Staff Reporter KANSAS CITY, Kan—The discrimination complaints filed by Facilities Operations employees at the University of Kansas Medical Center have revealed several problems with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's complaint system. The EEOC's inability to keep up with its complaint backlog forced it to reorganize in 1977, when it had 100,000 cases, Reginald Welch, public information officer for the EEOC in Washington, D.C., said. The EEOC reduced the backlog to 30,000 cases. According to Welch, the reorganization included a separate staff to handle only backlog cases, a rapid-charge process to handle more requests and an improved emphasis on systemic-discrimination complaints. SYSTEMIC-DISCRIMINATION complaints are similar to class-action law suits. They are complaints filed by different people about the same problem, Welch said. as to where they could get help in studying for the GED (graduate equivalency diploma). Now, we are looking into offering a basic studies program and a GED class for all employees." ONE REASON for the discrimination problems is the all-white administration of the job. Employee records indicate that the seven highest-ranking administrators in Facilities "The whole purpose of the reorganization was to clear out the backlog and streamline our intake process, so that we could dedicate more time to systemic discrimination," Welch said. Welch said the EEOC initiated 62 systemic-complaint investigations in fiscal 1980. "The EEOC feels the purpose of Title VII is best served by pursuing systemic complaints instead of going after complaints one-by-one, as the case with most of our complaints." Welch said. Now the EEOC is investigating six complaints filed by employees in Facilities Operation at the MEMA facility. Three of the six complainants said they were harassed and were denied promotions by their supervisors for racial reasons. Two of the men are black and the other is white. The white man that he had been harassed ever since he testified for one of the black men at an EIOC hearing. DESPITE the EECOS EFORTS, Norris william S. Harvey said that the EECO just now was assigning an investigator to his case—eight months after he filed his complaints. Joe Boherty, director of the EEOC's Kansas City office, said that under federal law he could not comment on the complaints or even judge that a particular complaint had been filed. However, in a letter to Williams dated Aug. 27, 1980, from Clifford Hill, an EOEC supervisor in the Kansas City, Mo., office, the EOEC said it would not be "for appropriate processing" within 30 days. Welch said one possible reason Williams's complaint was just now being assigned to an investigator that was the different district offices had different-sized backlogs. "When the EEOC reorganized in 1977, we moved backlog (cases) around to try to equalize the number of cases each office had," Welch said. "It used to take from two to three years from the time a complaint was filed until the case was closed. Now, it is usually a matter of months." ANOTHER POSSIBLE reason for the delay in See EFOC page 5. Supervisor 1, the lower level, is a working supervisor. A Supervisor 2 performs more administrative duties. There are no black Supervisors. Of Supervisor 1 in eight areas, only five are black. Another reason the officials mentioned for the existence of discriminatory practices was that equal employment opportunity and state civil service laws were not enforced. They advertise open positions in the Main- Abril. 1981 application, they can tell me that a job has been closed and I have no way of knowing. THE POSTING OF OPENING AND CLOSING dates for open civil service positions is required by Kansas personnel regulations. The regulation states that "the director (of a department) shall prescribe the period during which applications will be accepted." Since the EEOC complaints were filed, the job posting problems have been corrected and the employee education department has started a class for managers. The class is designed to help See DISCRIMINATION page 5 On Laptop, his third LP. Dauon doesn't so much song songs as spin yarns while the Blockheads lay down a soundtrack to the placement of music director Chizu by former Dr. Feelgud song actor Wilson Johnson has shifted the overall sound from the slick funk of the band to a music tenuous brand of rhythm & blues. The Blankhearts are such a cracker jack unit — special kodds go to Norr man Wattley's stellar work bass that man Wattley's collaborations contribute. Several songs cry out for more substantial lyrical content than Dury telling us (how wisterly him) to "bring off the jewels of oak and pearls of wisdom like." Take your elbow out of the soup you're sitting on the chicken* and *A mouse** clock in China, for our education Dury & the Blockheads are undoubtedly more effective onstage where Dury's personal is more fully developed. Johnson can unleash the definitive (accept no substitute kids) and make his band the cellence of the band simply overpowers our fingers in歌词. They're still something of an acquired taste for American itseners *taqhera* is a solid albeit unen album that requires acceptance when terms to fully applicate the music THE CLASH Sandinista! Don Snowden (Epic) Look Out! Clash upside your head! It's easy to feel a little dazed after hearing *sentinel* (The Clast's latest opus is 56 songs and 2-1/2 hours long and it pursues its political and social messages in back alley imaginable. The record is so vast and so difficult to assimilate that Epic suffered the at very thought of releasing it here, indeed, the label has boiled it down to a 12-song sampler for critical and radio consumption. Yet, as rugged as the early gooing may be, *Sindmush*! in the end is the Clash's richest and most during release. The clashes are just as impactful of the Impact the Clash, but it showcases a band that is willing to risk all and pull you away from imaginative and imaginative nocephaly. Politics, both English and international, make up the core of *Sundafrican*. The group takes a kaleidoscope of styles and influences to meet G. J. I Joe*) in sex government (in the Leader) the drain (in the *Streetlight*), the perilism (in "Charlie Don't Suff" and "Washington Bullets"), the political fare of powwow England (in "Something Up in Heaven"), the seldom anything just thrown against the wall to see it stoke the music and lyrics are comical and dynamically played and sung. Ampersand The less political material (though none is strictly apolitical) ranges over subjects far and wide from the independent U. K. music scene to police harassment, from the drug world to an international exquisitive request on Sundays that is unexpected, even after the giant steps of London Calling. Musical styles are divergent as subject matter, with fun, folk, blues, jazz, and (of course) massive doses of reggae music. The sound is highly detailed production sound No other post '77 U. K. band has attained a temped musical conception structured on such grand terms. Joe Strummer, Mike Jones and company have been instrumental in English press as the victims of *hairy*, yet to ears, their achievement seems as large as their ambitions. The early romantic naivety of the Clash's political views has been stretched with each succeeding album, and on Sam Elias' last film, *Night Out* snapped point. But, despite a few certain moments, nothing ever snaps Cbris Morris The Clash persist in testing themselfs musically, and they are now testing their audience as well, those with music who don't know the band's metamorphosing style may get left behind by *Sandinista*'s itra to catch up with them. And there's a problem: The Clash have already made their stand, running in place isn't really running at all *Sandinista* is a stunt, and in politics, and is worth the cash. E LVIS COSTELLO Trust With a string of brilliant albums to his credit, Cossette has set the highest standards in rock songwriting and performing. Some view him as just an other ballet New Waver when he first recorded it. He's actually a sturmish musical traditionist, drawing upon influences as diverse as Sixties psychadelia and Hank Williams barroom balladry to create his sound. In tandem with the recently released records of unusual wet, in genius and emotional punch. Costello's lyric preoccupations are the same as ever — sexual paranoid shall trendiness and the spectre of militant alienation lacks its usual bite, however — Lovers Walk, *Pretty Words* and *New Lace Wives* by Dylan Thomas songwriting formula. At times, his verbal tricks (puns, strange juxtapositions) are enough to carry him a lyric, but too often the ideas play out. (Columbia) Considering his attacks upon greed and status-seeking in his songs, it seems insulting to suggest that Elvis Costello rises after the American hit record that has thus far won. Yet *True* reflects such a desire. His country entry for this album, "Different Finger," fails to offer any different thing from his past composition number. From a Whisper to a Scream, is indicative of the LPs shortcomings. Though Costello and co-vocalist Glenn Tibrow book an elevation to歌 this elevation above the mediators. *Trust doesn't help that Castellus lost his touch to his touch. But for the moment he was confident, that chief flair is that much of what it contains has been done before, and genius was taken from him.* Those are the notable duads — there (Continued on page 12) - - - - - MUSIC LIVES ON TDK TDK. Fill a TDK cassette with music and the playback is unforgettable. It's music, full and rich. Charged. Vibrant. Instruments cascade, surround, bathe you in music. Crystal clear. Not a note missed in the flow. On TDK cassettes the extraordinary happens. Music lives. Experience the energy of TDK. Start the music. Then glow with it. TDK cassettes warranted for a lifetime. © Copyright 1981 TDK Electronics Corp., Garden City, N.Y. 11530 "It's 'p's for kiss 'to when who sion soon as, sive seled seed ontz, non- king d. "I the New KU IDs should arrive by summer The University of Kansas should have its five student identification card in 15 years by late this spring or early summer, Gly Dyck, director of admissions and records, said yesterday. THE LOGO on the current ID will not change, but will be smaller on the new card to make room for additional icons. Regardless of when the new cards arrive, they will cost $1.50, and $5 for each replacement, Dyck said. Purchasing new cards will be optional for students. Dyck said he easily peeled apart the laminated sample ID card the company sent. "Right now, the lowest bidder is Stik, Stip. Inc., from somewhere in Texas," Dyck said. "We will be awarding them the contract if we win." Cards are of the quality that they say they are." The date is uncertain, Dyck said, because KU is still considering bids for the work from various companies. The last time KU obtained new student IDs was in the fall of 1979. The decision to switch again was made after several academic awards and Dyck's office for cards with pictures, he said. "We're not going to force anybody to get a new one," Dyck said. "If they want to keep the plastic IDs, they can. I have around 9,000 IDs that people didn't bother to pick up last year." "Last spring, we had several of the larger departments request that we go back to picture IDs because they were having problems controlling their larger exams." he said. "But they told us that the sample card did that because it had been run through a laminating machine that was not not enough," he said. "I will tell you that this card is really a good one, we'll go with it." THE NEW CARD would differ from KU's current "credit card" model because it would be laminated and carry the student's picture, Dyck said. "The card will have the same capabilities as the old card, except that it won't be embosed." *The Troublesome* See IDS page 5 It will be partly cloudy today, with a high of 66 and winds from the northwest at 10 to 20 mph, according to the KU Weather Service. Skies will clear tonight, with a low of 40 and light and variable winds. Tomorrow's high will be around 70, under partly cloudy skies.