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Monday February 11, 2013
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The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 142 Issue 98
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Union fights against campus wage program
It’s always a good time
SEIU’s concerns stem from past wages, which were below inflation BY AUSTIN KEATING STAFF WRITER
Behind the walls of the Busey-Evans dining area, cook Gloria Von Behren lays out the batter for the morning’s breakfast on a stove: chocolate chip pancakes. Her carefully guided hand tilts the ladle to form a medium-sized, sizzling circle. Behren, a second-generation
chef for the University, is 51 years old and has been a food service employee for 17 years. In that time, she has worked at every dining hall on campus, but while she loves her job, she feels she deserves more. Behren belongs to the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, Local 73, which represents more than 800 employees at the University. She, along with 91 percent of SEIU members who voted on Jan. 25, opted to give the union’s bargaining team the power to decide whether to strike. Her reasoning, as she put it: “We can’t keep going backwards.” As Behren dunks her ladle
See SEIU, Page 3A
Food service workers wage negotiations continue ZACH DALZELL DAILY ILLINI
Owl City performs at The Canopy Club on Sunday. Adam Young, vocalist and founder of Owl City, opened the show with the song “Speed of Love.”
Theater groups hold benefit show ‘Art for Art’s Sake’ raises funds to help nonprofit for the mentally disabled BY JANELLE O’DEA STAFF WRITER
Three student theater groups held their third annual benefit production Friday in support of The Awakenings Project,
a non-profit that encourages those with mental disabilities to use art as therapy. The registered student organizations — the New Revels Players, Penny Dreadful Players and The What You Will Shakespeare Company — joined with the non-profit to host “Art for Art’s Sake,” a benefit theater production held in the Gregory Hall auditorium. The event drew more than 100 members of the University community and raised $700.
The theater groups collaborate on the fundraiser every year, but each year a different group handles the event planning. This year, the benefit was produced by the New Revels Players. Members of all three groups wrote, directed and produced eight shows for the production with the exception of one play written by Robert Lundin, co-founder of The Awakenings Project. The group also decided to add a concert by the band
Chief to the beginning of the show and moved the event to Gregory Hall from its former location at University Place Christian Church. “We decided to change the venue because it’s a more central location, and it gives it more of a theater feel,” said John Pollard, president of New Revels Players and junior in LAS. Charity events such as
See ARTS, Page 3A
Mascot results won’t be released until ruling
University food service employees make up about a quarterof the membership of the SEIU on campus. And wages, the last major hurdle in negotiations between the SEIU and the University, revolve around this group. Ricky Baldwin, lead negotiator for SEIU, said food service laborers work full time for almost eight months a year and claims the hourly wages they receive aren’t enough.
20 15
15
10
10
5
5
0
0
$11.80
HEAD COOK
(about 50 employees)
20
20
15
$11.94
$14.10
$16.10
$17.49
15
10
10
5
5
0
0
$12.91
COOK
(about 60 employees)
$12.08
$14.29
$16.43
$16.01
15
10
10
5
5
0
0
FOOD SERVICE SANITATION LABORER & POT WASHING MACHINE OPERATOR
BY CORINNE RUFF STAFF WRITER
Jazz music filled Memorial Stadium’s Colonnades Club on Saturday night as gentlemen in crimson and cream suits clinked glasses and welcomed each other back to campus. Kappa Alpha Psi alumni, who had pledged as long ago as the year
1952, sat side by side with current members of the fraternity at a banquet to celebrate the first centennial anniversary of an African-American fraternity at the University. In 1913, nine members of the “Illio Club,” the only student group of African-American men on campus at the time, became the first African-American fraternity at the University and the second chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi in the country. On behalf of the University administration, Renee Roma-
no, vice chancellor of student affairs, gave an address commemorating the history of the fraternity. “Can you imagine what this campus was like in 1913?” she asked. “Nine men came together and felt they deserved the best education the world had to offer, so they came to the University of Illinois. They weren’t only going to come here and spend their time, they were going to leave a mark — one that lasted 100 years.”
See GREEK, Page 3A
BRYAN LORENZ Design Editor EUNIE KIM Design Editor
SEIU wants off of campus wage program The campus wage program sets a salary increase for employees to compensate for inflation. SEIU negotiators want to stay off the program in contract year 2013 and negotiate its own base rate. Campus Wage SEIU
4
3.0 2.5
(percentage)
Fraternity was 1st for African-American students on campus
$16.01
(1 employee)
Source: Labor and Employee Relations
Salary Increase
Kappa Alpha Psi celebrates 100 years on U of I campus
$16.01
FOOD SERVICE AREA SUPERVISOR
(about 50 employees)
SARI LESK THE DAILY ILLINI
$14.79
20
15
James Montgomery, an alumnus of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and member of the University board of trustees, delivers the keynote speech at the fraternity’s centennial celebration. The event was held Saturday at Memorial Stadium’s Colonnades Club. Montgomery was the oldest alumnus in attendance.
$15.74
KITCHEN HELPER AND CASHIER
(about 10 employees)
(about 30 employees)
STAFF WRITER
$13.86
$
20
INSIDE
20
$18.70
$17.78
$16.61
4+ years employed
SNACK BAR ATTENDANT
BY CLAIRE EVERETT
The results of Campus Spirit Revival’s new symbol contest will not be released until a challenge the group Stop Campus Spirit Revival filed in University moot court is addressed, student senators said Sunday. In 2011, the senate passed a binding resolution supporting the efforts of Campus Spirit Revival, then known as Students for a New Mascot. But Jim Maskeri, Illinois Student Senate chairman, said the group Stop Campus Spirit Revival claims that resolution was inconsistent with a 2008 referendum the senate posed to the student body. The referendum asked if students thought the Chief should be reinstated, and students voted 7,718 to 2,052 in favor of the discontinued mascot. “All resolutions are binding on the student senate until they are repealed,” Maskeri said. “The current decision of the student senate is to hold off on releasing that (contest result) information until moot court either throws out the case, or issues a hold on the information, or overturns the resolution.” Maskeri said he thinks the court will decide this week. Thomas Ferrarell, who operates Campus Spirit Revival, said he would not comment until a decision had been made.
2-4 years employed
0-2 years employed
2.0
1
1.5
3
1.0 0.5 0.0
5
2 ‘06-’07
‘07-’08
‘08-’09
‘09-’10
‘10-’11
‘11-’12
‘12-’13*
*Rates for the 2013 contract year were offered but not yet approved
1.
SEIU is placed on the campus wage program and receives a raise.
2.
SEIU is on CWP and receives a 0 percent increase.
3.
As a result of the previous year, SEIU demands to negotiate wages and leaves the CWP.
Source: Labor and Employee Relations
isn’t on CWP but receives 4. SEIU that rate because it is higher than the SEIU’s negotiated base rate. University offers SEIU campus 5. The wage in negotiations.
EUNIE KIM Design Editor
Po l i c e 2 A | C o r r e c t i o n s 2 A | H o r o s c o p e s 2 A | O p i n i o n s 4 A | Le t t e r s 4 A | C r o s s w o r d 5 A | Co m i c s 5 A | S p o r t s 1 B | C l a s s i f i e d s 3 B | S u d o k u 3 B