UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN editorials
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Signed columns represent the views of
February 23, 1979
Labor dispute justified
Once again, organized labor in Kansas is attempting to convince the Kansas Legislature that non-union unions are not a good union effort without paying a price.
In an on-again, off-again battle that has continued since the early 1960s, labor leaders are pushing for the passage of a Kansas Senate bill that would allow unions to assess non-union members a 'fair share service fee' for the cost of representing them in commerce and collective bargaining cases.
Opposition to the bill, which is sponsored by state democrats Jack Steinger and Tom Rehorn, both of Kansas City, Kan., is being voiced by right-to-work advocates who claim the bill is unconstitutional.
Those right-to-work advocates note that the Kansas Supreme Court in 1961 ruled it unconstitutional for a union to assess non-union members to pay fees equal to regular union dues. When union service fees equal regular dues such a set-up is known as the "agency shop."
HOWEVER, THE current bill would assess a fee that would be less than regular dues and thus would not be an agency shop. The bill would allow unions to collect fees for services rendered. It would not require nonunion members to join a particular union.
Moreover, under federal law, unions can be a certified bargaining agent for all employees by a majority vote of the employees. The result is that non-union members receive the same benefits as union members in the bargaining and grievance process.
The Kansas-National Education Association spent more than $250,000 in expenditures for court costs and legal fees in fiscal 1977-78. The association serves about 25,000 teachers in Kansas, of which about one-fourth are not association members.
Sentiment within the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee for support of the bill is thought to be weak. No service fee or agency shop bill has been passed in the legislature since the right-to-work amendment was passed in 1958. This bill, though, should not suffer the same fate.
Teacher testing needed
THE COST OF collective bargaining and grievance procedures varies each fiscal year from union to union, depending upon each union's number of court cases and work hours. Thus, service fees also would vary from union to union.
The three R's form the foundation for a student's education and that foundation is tested and retested until it becomes firm—theoretically.
National surveys have shown that some students are not proficient in reading, writing or arithmetic when they graduate from college. The basics were overlooked, perhaps as far back as grade school, while being praised a liberal and innovative education.
Because the right-to-work amendment in the state constitution does not require employees to join a union, labor leaders think they have been providing a service without getting anything in return. Obviously, that is unfair. Non-union members should pay for services rendered by the union.
A student who understands the latest development in energy conservation or nuclear physics might be hampered by an inability to communicate clearly.
Where did the problem start?
But the threat of that occurrence may be changing.
It might have started in the classroom, where the teacher, not proficient in these skills, failed to properly instruct the student. And a snowball effect began.
Just as the three R's are basic to a
mandatory skills of a teacher.
A BILL before the Kansas Legislature would provide for the testing of a teacher's competence in English and mathematics before allowing them to teach. If a teacher failed the test, certification would be denied. If the teacher were not proficient, they would not teach.
It would be preventative medicine for the ill.
A proficiency test administered by the State Board of Education, which reviews and renews teaching certificates, should be adopted in Kansas.
In Kansas, a teacher is granted a three-year teaching certificate upon completion of specified college course work, recompense for the college and approval by the state board.
ONCE THE TERM is up, the board again reviews performance during the three years and decides whether to grant a five-year certificate. The basic skills, English and math proficiency, are assumed. The review is made of the teacher's skill in their field of study.
No English or math proficiency test is given to teachers in Kansas.
State Sen. Merrill Werts, R-Junction City, who proposed the teacher test bill said that he was concerned with the drop in national student scholastic scores and suspected that it might be passing incorrect language use and faulty math on to their students.
"All I am asking, the state is asking, value received for dollars spent on education, or more specifically, the objective of our schools is to train youths to
Jake Thompson
become literate, productive members of our society, and this may be a way to determine best how to do it." Werts said. "I have written about this all in my object to the test, from letter I've gotten."
IN FACT, the lobbist of the Kansas-National Education Association and the dean of the KU School of Education object to the bill, but for different reasons. One doesn't think the test is necessary and the other doesn't think it is broad enough.
Bob Wooten, K-NEA legislative director, said the bill was an attempt to blame teachers for lack of basic skills--before she had been fired. The teachers actually lack those communication skills.
"Last year we started the state in a course toward competency based education, and we have heard the horror stories about the need for it, but we haven't seen the results of the test yet and we don't know if our students are incompetent." Wooten said.
And there is no published evidence showing that teachers in Kansas are not proficient, says Dale P. Scannell, dean of KU's School of Education.
"ID RATHER see a more thorough testing of proficiency than is in the proposed bill," Scannell said. "Certification requirements should take a stricter look at performance in class and educational development."
Scannell said he thought teachers should be proficient in math and communication skills.
The whole issue of teaching teachers to see if they can read, write and add seems somewhat ludicrous, but what if they do not learn to read? The teacher should not teach without those skills.
Regardless of whether future studies show that Kansas students are lacking the skills, the bill is relevant and necessary. If teachers are not proficient, they might pass their incompetence to students, and that is what to warrant action by the Legislature.
Six members of a Louisiana State University fraternity were struck by a car last month while walking blinded across a two-lane bridge during a pledge initiation ceremony. One of the pledges and three others suffered broken legs.
Even if the bill is not broad enough, at least an attempt to ensure better education
The Legislature should adopt the bill that requires teachers to pass an English and math proficiency test before they are eligible for schooling. The teachers and the state education system.
Hazing is wrong way to win loyalty
An 18-year-old freshman at the University of Missouri-Holla was in a conat for two weeks last month after being placed on probation by participating in a "walk-in" - a trek back to the fraternity after being left outside of town. The walk-in was part of his fraternal duties.
After consuming a six pack of beer, a pint of whiskey and a fifth of wine during a hazing ceremony, a member of a fraternal order, took the trunk of a car. He died of alcohol poisoning.
These incidents exemplify the potential deadly consequences of "hazing" the physical or mental exercise fraternity members with a weapon, and always against their will, under the surveillance of current fraternity members. Hazing is the means for instilling within pledges a sense of unity, respect and acceptance by all members of the fraternity. At least that is the concession.
LOCAL FRATERNITY members have noted that any having activity could result in tragedy without any intention to inflict physical harm.
The question that must be asked, then, is why have having at all?
Fraternity members at the University of Kansas said tradition is probably the primary reason many of our SS fraternities have moved to campus, though the national fraternity organizations and the National Interfraternity Council have condemned hazing activi-
Some reasons given for having were to break bonds that members have outside of the house, and to a pledge class so that each pledge gives his loyalty to his class and house. A
The types of hazing that occur vary from fraternity to fraternity. Of course, each fraternity has different members. Although current hazing practices were not identified, fraternity members said most of the past harsh practices, such as physical violence or pledges, now were uncommon practices.
THE DURATION OF a hazing ceremony may be one night, a few days or one week.
known infamously as "hell week." It is thought that only a couple of KU fraternities have hazing ceremonies that can handle most fraternities but most fraternities that do haze use mental tactics to initiate pledges. The KU induction program requires bidding physical hazing, and there are
despatic tactics in order to bring about a sense of oneness, of conformity and obedience to an idea or organization?
Perhaps the factor that motivates fraternities to haze is the desire by older members of a particular house to subject the pledge class to the same type of harassment they endured. Thus harassment for harassment's sake.
Surely the goals of unity, loyalty, commitment and brotherhood are desirable and noble goals. But it seems there are other ways of achieving these goals without the unnecessary abuse of goods and bodies that occur during hazing.
Hazing practices at KU generally are considered to be on the lighter side. However, the potential consequences of hazing warrant serious questioning of its legitimacy as a means for achieving unity and brotherhood.
some KU fraternities that do not participate in hazing.
Furthermore, might fraternities attempt to legitimize the practice of restraint as a means of respect as the basis for such activities? It is indeed a sincere attempt to obtain these goals—and eventually to obtain a life-long commitment to physical and mental harassment approach
Faculty merit recreational benefits
BY T. M. ASLA
As an employee of the University, I take issue with Jake Thompson's column in the Kansan arguing that faculty pay a lower salary than those of staff facilities constitute one of the few remaining but important benefit benefits that enter into a complex set of trade-offs whereby some of the most highly trained and skilled laborers are not offered professional counterparts outside the university.
To the editor:
How many fringe benefits must be eroded before it becomes financially impossible to even attend a university professor? Should we wait well? Only (non-athletic) saints need apply.
I personally know of no one else who must pay his employer to be able to park in the firm's 'parking lot'. Consequently, lew of nine students in my recreational country clubs that most university graduates, like Thompson, will pay more money once they, too, become full-time employees.
associate professor of architecture and urban design
Indeed, there is no single occupation which requires the amount of training necessary to be a university professor that pays such low wages.
It is understood, however, that in exchange for the higher wages of professional doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers, scientists, laborers, there are compensations; such as month unpaid vacation during which time we can undergo "professional development" and research; flexible time allowing which time we can be available to staff members. University committees or perform public service; a beautiful environment which encourages us to be productive (like Wesco Hall), or to devote boundless energy toward improvement of features of the environment that might be threatened by the profit motives of others; and the prestige of participating in an ancient tradition of passing on the wisdom of the past, ritual and celebration (like being able to drive on campus to turn in final grades).
STATE U.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN letters
People kill people; gun laws senseless To the editor:
In reply 9 you column in the Kansan Monday, Feb. 19 on gun control, there seemed to be a one-sided view on the gun controls.
New York state has the stiffest gun laws in the country, but they have the highest rate of crime concerning guns. On the other hand, New Jersey has considerably less crime concerning guns.
If one will notice, these states are very close neighbors. As a whole, gun laws will lead to major disagreements between states and that could cause some serious trouble.
In response to the old phrase "Guns don't kill people. People kill people," I must agree with this because of what it says. I have a question for zugi. If a person laid a pistol on the counter and then counted it at you, then stepped back from it and told the gun to kill you, would it?
A gun in one's hand is the same as a wrench in the hand of an auto mechanic; its one and only function is to serve as a tool. The purpose of this tool is to be used to the advantage of the owner and not to the disadvantage of others.
I have owned guns for many years and feel that I have used them for their sole purpose—sport. Remember, the West wasn't won with a registered gun.
If a person does use it to the disadvantage of another person he should be punished, but the tool should not be restricted because of what the owner used it for. If that is the case, you should not try to restrict what can kill, or should we first try to restrict the real killers, which is the main problem.
Greg Ernzen Saline freshmar
Greg Ernzen
Salina freshman
Candidate says loss really indicates win
To the editor:
An interesting series of events has recently taken place. The true representative of the student body, me, will not be serving as student body president. The president, Margaret Berlin, received the support of about 4 percent of the student body. I was representing apathy on the part of the student body, and about 80 percent of the student body. With a better than 80 percent lead over Berlin, she took office and I did not.
ir't have so much support, it could be asked, why don't my supporters insure my car? They can help me, they are supporting me. They support me by not caring. They didn't care enough to vote. They don't care that Berlin does not have a bus system. They are supporting me. They don't care
that I got screwed out of the Presidency,
They don't care about anything, and that only proves the dedication of my supporters.
And just remember, if you, who are reading this, did not vote . . . well . . . welcome to the crowd!
I should also point out that I am responsible for the "high" voter turnout. (Isn't it amusing how people become overjoyed when they receive a vote? If it weren't for reactions against my campaign, it's hard to imagine even the typical, and miniscule, 10 percent voter turnout. I think the other candidates owe me big thanks in utilizing their supporters as well as my own.
I have only one regret about the whole campaign. That is that I didn't have $400 or more to spend and had no ads in the Kannan. I reached the 85 percent of the student body who didn't vote, as well as the 5 to 10 percent of the student body who could change with $30. With $400 I could change the world.
I guess the logical conclusion to this whole face is for me to be elected a Fine Art artist.
Isn't irony lifelike?
Mark Hazelrigg Emporia junior
Black apathy stalls possible progress To the edition
I am writing this letter with hopes that I will make a few of you mad. Why would I want to anger you? Because maybe then some of you will get off of your lead behind me, but I can't do it. I'll degree of black apathy. I shall point out just a few mere cases where the black students
on this campus have done nothing to better themselves as a class of students on this
It is a well-known fact that there is some form of student government on this campus. But my question is: why were there only three black students involved in the government? The point is that black students have the ability to make changes, but instead they like to make the white myth come true. That myth is that black people are not the way things are here, and that they are being treated better today than ever before.
The Natalie Cole review sparked some action out of the black population. However, it was very short-lived. Yes, we made demands, and a few threats, but when it came to our demands, what did we do? We went right back into our corner of do-motnothing.
As we all know, this is Black History month, a time when we say we are going to show off our great Black Heritage. Well, the black faculty and staff and the office of minority have done a hell of a job in preparing us to go to this campus, but why should they bother?
It seems that the black students really don't want these activities; for if they did, you would see better attendance at them. By now you must be wondering about this attic when you leave Feb. 1. There was a forum and about 35 people attended, more than half of them white.
On Feb. 4 there was a concert, and only 20 people came to that. Need I say any more? The few things we do have will be taken away if we don't drop that do-notAttend policy. If we don't attend we do have, and then proceed with an honest effort after what we don't have. But this will take more than a handful of people, so I suggest that we become a wringing part of the Black Student Union, the Student Senate and help us as black students on this campus.
Jerome Jones Salina senior
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