Japabs views Strike

by Bob Jacobs
$ Let me start oii by quoting what
one of my graduate school
professor’s first remarks to us
was: “The primary function of a
college or university is to survive.”
Nothing, however, in the rest of my
courses, prepared me tor a Bird
strike and my role in it. Although
he meant ”survive" in a financial
sense, what our office and other
administrative ciiices are engaged
in is helping Grinnell survive in me
sense of keeping things going at the
most basic level. There is no
question that the strike hurts
everyone, and both sides have
some very legitimate positions, but
we (the administrative staff) have
an obligation to see that Grinnell
functions as smoothly as possible.

The Student Affairs Office e
compasses the following people:
Jim Tederman (Dean of Students),
pianne Ruyffelaere and myseli

’(Associate Deans of Students),
John Adams (Director of Career
Services), the R.A.'s and
secretarial staff. We have all been,
in one way or another, involved in
providing services not normally
carried out by this office. Since the
strike has begun, in addition to our
normal duties, we have mowed
lawns, moved furniture, hauled
garbage, cleaned a co-op house,
cleaned the office. given out keys,
opened storage rooms, driven

. trucks and delivered REA ships
ments and C&K storage to campus.
In addition, we have, in con-
junction with Mr. Pomerenk, acted
as sort of an ad but: information
service and hot line about what
services are being provided on
campus.

1 think all of us will agree that
perrorming the above iunctions
has def'nitely hampered our own
oirice "'ork. There are times when

‘i fee’ that I'm spending half my
working day (which has stretched
considerably since the strike) on
B&G matters.

It’s very difficult to speak for the
other members of our office and,
since Kyle asked for a personal
view, the rest of this article will
deal with my own ieelings and
observations. At the outset of the
strike, in late July, I think we all
felt it would be Over in a matter of

’days (two weeks at the Outside)

and all would be 0.K. once school
started. At that point. contingency
plans were something to be con~
templatod but not taken too
seriously, As the strike entered its
second and then third weeks,
though, serious thought and actual
plans were formulated icr dealing
with the pre—opening and initial
start-up of school and the work
began. Since that time, my life has
revolved around when the strike
would be over and [could return to
my own work and lifestyle. Each
false rumor of imminent set~
tlcment (and there were several)
was greeted with undisguised
elation which quickly became
frustration when the rumor proved
unfounded.

These frustrations evidenced
themselves on many fronts: First
was the inability to properly do my
own work; second was becoming
irritable aiter doing so many non-
traditional (for me) jobs without
an end to them in sight (I think I’ve
only had I full day off in the last
three weeks); and thirdly in
constandy saying to students “rm
sorry but it’ll have to wait until
after the strike.”

There are, however, some bright
spots in all of this ior me. I drink,

Bill Barr, union steward uollis Sisco and another
om employee discuss the steak giveaway which

that as a result of working so
closely with other campus ad-
ministrators and, especially, the
B&G supervisory staff, we have a
much better rapport and I should
(and already have) be able to
establish much more personal,
nonrred tape relationships wiui
them in the future.

In conclusion, I’d like to offer two
personal observations: Firstly, I
have to complement our students
for coping admirably with the
myriad of inconveniences they
have been forced to face. It has
certainly made my job that much
easier and I thank you for your
patience and cooperation.
Secondly, I feel very much caught
in the middle of this strike (as most
oi you are) in terms oi both
knowledge of what’s happening
and my own sentiments about it.
l've been wishing for six weeks
now that rd wake up in the mar
ning, the strike would be over, and
I could go back to being me. Yet, I
recognize the right of the workers
to strike and I certainly can’t fault
them for their position. rve gotten
to know quite a few of them these
past two years and I hope, that
when this is finally resolved, we
can meet each other without bite
terness or ill Will.

yielded 321 steaks for the families of striking 13810

on some reading while on the (Minor, 1.
Scartei and Black photo by John Wylie

Strike hampers
campus delivery

by Tim DeCoster

Due to the 3&6 strike, many
students are living in somewhat
barren rooms as they wait for their
furniture or other items stored
over the summer at C&K Storage,
a private nonvunion company
whose truckers are respecting
picket lines.

Other students are also having
trouble with REArshipped goods.
since the unionized employees are
also respecting the lines. Currently

workers. Crazy [louse served ht the
point for the student-organized eiiort.

distribution

Work stoppage multiplies RA’s duties

by Dick Vos
Over the summer I spent a lot of
time thinking about this year. As a
second-year Resident Adviser, I

anticipated being very busy
talking with students during these
tirst iew weeks. Returning to
Grinnell in early August to

cartoon by Carin DcFree

discover that the BKtG staff was out
on strike, 1 had no idea of what
effects the strike would have upon
me as an RA.

As students began to arrive, I
was asked to perform some simple
BdtG type functions such as
opening the basement storage
rooms and distributing room keys.
My feelings were mixed as I went
about these tasks. The sheer time
and energy I put into these jobs
limited my effectiveness as an RA;
I simply wasn’t available in my
halls as often as I had wanted to be
at the beginning of the year. On the
other hand, students really needed
to gettheir room keys and summer
storage. As a member oi the
college administration, it is my
responsibility to insure that
students be inconvenienced as
little as possible.

Resident Advisers have been
doing many oi the necessary tasks
which would normally have been
done by B&G personnel. The list
includes removal or trash from the
halls, delivering REA-shipped
trunks to campus, handling C&K-
stored furniture, and changing
light bulbs None of these jobs have
been fun, When I am up until 2 am.

talking with people, it is a real
hassle to get up at o a.m. just so I
can haul twelve bags of trash out oi
my halls in order to meet the truck
by 9 am, The work which I have
done has not been for or against
organized labor. Rather, it has
been for the people who attend this
college that l have offered ser-
vicesiservices which I feel the
student deserves and has paid for.

In closing I only want to say that
rll be glad when the strike iinally
ends. Then I’ll be able to put my
full energy and time into my RA
position to begin to achieve some oi
the goals I set for myseli over the
summer.

items which are wanted.
ior sale. or personal can now
be advertized in the Grlnnell
Scarlet and Black without
charge as a service to
students, iaculty and ad
ministration. All ads are to
be dropped in the son want
ad box in the post office.
Forms will also be provided.
To guarantee a spot in the
Friday issue, all ads must be
in the box by 5 pm. that
Tuesday. .

the private company is unloading
the collegebound shipments at a
special place at CScK rather than
directly to the campus.
ShuttieLine

Arrangements were made with
CSrK which allowed students to
pick up their stored items,
provided that they transported it
themselves. Students, however,
found it difficult to move the
bulkier, heavier items. and Dean of
Student Affairs. Bob Jacobs,
assembled a shuttle line,

Armed with [“0 foG trucks,
Jacobs and three resident advisors
operated the shuttle service
without incident during the first
day of operation. Fri. Aug. 29.
Most of Saturday was also trouble»
free.

However, around 4 pm that
day, as the four men were packing
the final load, about 20 male B&G
workers surrounded the trucks,
according to Jacobs. After the
workers refused to move, Jacobs
went to the city police station and
reported the situation. Twc squad
cars were then dispatched to the
scene.

lllegnlShuttle?

The B816 workers talked to the
policemen and claimed that the
shuttle was illegal because the
trucks were college property.
Jacobs asked the officers if his
actions were indeed illegal. The
officer refused to answer the
question, saying only that he
wanted to prevent any physical
violence,

Jacobs said that they had to
unload the trucks at that point, and
return to the college. Aiter
unloading, the shuttle crew found a
flat tire on each truck, which the
protestors allegedly deflated
during the afternoon incident.
However, Jacobs emphasized that
“there was no harassment of us,
They just surrounded the trucks."

Police Escort

The police have since notified
Jacobs that his actions were not
illegal. Consequently, the shuttle
service was resumed Tuesday,
Sept. 3. Police Chief Bill Peters
stated that officers “would go
along to make sure that he doesn't
get hurt."

Since then Jacobs reports that
they are having “no problems with
REA, and we’re running very
smoothly.”

Postoffice

Smoothly is also the word at the
campus post office, according to
Ernie Renaud, head mail clerk.
However, the Iowa parcel seerce
will not cross picket lines, and
those packages are not being
delivered. United Parcel Service is
also respecting the pickets, but the
college has arranged an oii~
campus delivery point so that
While the truckers are not violating
picket lines, packages are still
being brought on campus by
management “mallmen,”

Renaud reports that the us.
mail continues to be delivered
without any trouble,

 

