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Wednesday, June 19. 1996
CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Budig Hall ironworkers strike
Familiar quarrel halts construction
Cheaper isn't always better. That's the lesson union ironworkers at Budig Hall decided to teach the general contractor again.
About a dozen members of ironworkers Local Union 10 walked off the construction site at Budig Hall Friday to protest non-union laborers who had been hired by general contractor DiCarlo Construction.
By Jason Stran
Kansan staff writer
Kansas is a right-to-work state, meaning that both union and nonunion workers can work on the
The labor dispute was resolved Saturday, Hastings said. The source said DiCarlo agreed to remove J. D. Steel from the job and hire a subcontractor other than J. D. Steel and Builders Steel Company to complete the work.
same job provided there are separate entrance gates for both groups.
The non-union ironworkers, employed by J.D. Steel, showed up Thursday, said a union ironworker who asked to remain anonymous. The union workers, employed by Builders Steel Company, then contacted their business agent, Jim Hastings, who told them to go to work Friday, the source said.
Hastings said he set up a picket for the remainder of Friday and part of Saturday morning.
Members of Ironworkers Local Union 10 picketed until the J. D. Steel ironworkers were removed from the site.
The J.D. Steel workers arrived Friday, entering through the union gate, the source said. After Hastings talked to DiCarlo and couldn't resolve the situation quickly, he told the union ironworkers to go home.
J. D. Steel also was at the center of controversy in February 1995 when a similar dispute occurred.
Despite the labor problems, Mark Green, senior project manager for DiCarlo, said neither dispute would influence future contracting.
Hastings said the work given to J.D. Steel was not included in the original bidding and that DiCarlo was attempting to cut corners by hiring a less expensive subcontractor.
"I asked him if he had ever seen the sign, 'Cheaper is not always better,' Hastings said. "I told him he was ignoring that sign. The company told me it was a matter of economics."
"They (J. D. Steel) will be given equal opportunity, even though there is a labor dispute." Green said.
Although there are other non-union workers on the job site, Hastings said the ironworkers had a problem mainly with the hiring of J. D. Steel employees.
Hastings said the union members didn't think the J.D. Steel employees were doing a quality job, nor were they conducting themselves professionally.
"KU wants a quality building built. That's what we take pride in doing," Hastings said. "DiCarlo is doing everyone a disservice by hiring them."
Provost to be named by beginning of July
"The campus is changing, and there are things that need to be done," Shulenburger said. "The provost will have a great opportunity to increase and improve teaching and research."
Shulenburger said it was essential that research funding increase to at least $150 million annually. He also said it was important to correct or eliminate low-quality graduate programs and enhance academic computing services.
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He said it was important that the academic experience of freshmen and sophomores improved.
Some University administrators and faculty have speculated that Shulenburger will become provost because he holds one of the combining positions. Members of the committee disagree.
Gloria Flores, committee member and associate director of minority
affairs, said Shulenburger's current position wasn't important.
Hemenway, the University of Kentucky chancellor at the time, hired Richard Edwards as dean of the college of liberal arts and sciences.
"The committee has worked to make this a very fair process," Flores said. "If this were not a fair and equitable process, then most of us would not be on this committee." This job is open to any of these candidates, and Chancellor Hemenway has made that clear both in public and in private."
Two other candidates also have ties to the University, which has led to presumptions they could have an advantage in the hiring process.
Committee chairman Wil Linkugel, professor of communication studies, said Edwards' ties had no impact on the committee's decision to make him a finalist. It does not give him an advantage "Obviously a comment from the committee) was made that he was from Kentucky," Linkugel said. "I am convinced that he would have been a finalist if he was from the University of Tennessee or Pennsylvania. He is on the list because he is qualified."
Yarbrough said her style of administration was hands-on and supported employee accountability.
During his visit, Edwards said he believed that restoring public confidence in the University must be a priority. That means emphasizing undergraduate education and advancing research.
Flores said that whoever Hemenway chooses would be a positive choice for the University.
"The more public support the University has, the more it can improve," Edwards said.
Edwards also endorses a system of post-tenure review, and, in response to a question about extending medical benefits to same-sex couples, said he preferred the medical-benefit packages be offered to employees without regard to definition of families.
"Returning home would be nice," Yarbough said. "This is an area I would like to be in."
"I am sure he [Hemenway] has been deliberating the decision in his own mind," Flores said. "He will take the committee's recommendations and use them to help assure his ideas. I am positive he will make the right decision."
"I want people to feel free to do the things they think need to be done," Yarbrough said. "It is when people don't get the job done that I will step in and see how things can be worked out."
There needs to be better communication between the faculty and students, Yarbrough said. She also supports post-tenure review.
Yarbrough also has ties to the University. She was a KU law professor from 1979 to 1987.
Boat builders must show knowledge of structure
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Judges also examined the finished canoes and rated them for workmanship and creative features.
"Some of the boats have a nicer finish than most cars," Litterick said.
In this test a canoe is completely submerged in the lake and must resurface.
The deciding factor for many canoes is the swamp test.
Students must design a canoe that will be durable and stable enough to carry two powerful rowers, yet small and light enough to maneuver easily through the race courses.
In past years winning formulas have included glass beads, microballoons and the plastic foam beads used in beanbag chairs.
KU students tested 20 formulas before finding the perfect combination of portland cement, silica fumes, ceramic beads, Perlite, super
The swamp test at Lake Mendota in Wisconsin was the maiden voyage for the University's canoe and the culmination of almost nine months of work.
"Our concrete mix was lighter than water, so that added to the buoyancy of our boat," Litterick said. "We had actual test cubes of concrete that we could float in the water."
Some students test up to 70 concrete mixtures before finding the right formula of weight and durability.
"Some of the boats have a nicer finish than most cars."
Greg Litterick k
Shawnee graduate student
plasticizer and water.
This mixture was applied slowly over steel reinforcements and vibrated to shake the concrete into place and prevent air pockets.
The surface was later primed and painted.
After the races, the judges check the canoes for duct tape and other repair material that might affect the team's original score.
Kyle Archer, Olathe graduate student, said, "We didn't have to do any repairs during the races. The only problems we had were a few cracks in the front from the rowers' knees."
Archer competed at the event in 1995 and organized the regional competition in Lawrence this year. About half of the students who competed last year in Washington, D.C., returned to the event again this year.
"Last summer was great, and this summer was even better," Archer said. "It's fun to go out and compete and represent KU."
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