The Red and Black

Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: News

Workers demand better benefits

University workers want better benefits, better child care and better working conditions. At least that was the message of more than 40 demonstrators.

Some demanded better pay for non-salary workers at the University while others raised concern for child care at a rally downtown on Labor Day.

Joseph Smith, a junior psychology major from Athens, introduced a petition to demand better pay and benefits for non-salaried workers at the University. The Economic Justice Coalition will present the petition to the University Council, Smith said.

"Of course [the University] has increased the 500 permanent employee wages," said Linda Lloyd, director of the EJC and one of the rally's organizers. "But we are talking about over 2,000 temporary employees with no benefits."

Susan Mattern, an associate professor of History and member of Child Care UGA, announced a rally for on-campus child care at Tate Plaza on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 2:30 p.m.

"There is no more fundamental necessity than quality child care," said Mattern. "We are hoping that UGA, which is the largest employer in Athens, will step up and become an employer that supports child care for all of its community: its faculty, staff, and all its low-wage workers."

"[We're] highlighting the commonalities between all lower-wage workers as opposed to focusing on differences," said Sarah Himmelheber, a social worker from Athens. "We want to show that fair wages and decent working conditions are things that all people deserve."

The crowd left the Arch, circled through downtown, and stopped at City Hall where Food Not Bombs provided free food as Latino folk group Incatepec performed.

Afterwards, speakers from groups such as Child Care UGA, the Living Wage Network, Coalition Somos America and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union addressed the crowd.

"We're celebrating the right to organize and get better pay," Lloyd said.

Accenting the cross-cultural theme of the days events, Nick Stanojevich, a senior International Affairs major from Marietta, led the crowd in bilingual chants. "El pueblo, unido, jamas sera vencido," he said. "The people united will never be divided."


- Andre Gallant

Law school ranks among underrated

The University's School of Law was ranked sixth by National Jurist + preLaw for best value in law schools, according to their Web site. The group ranked Georgia Law 10th on its "Most Underrated" law schools list. It ranked Emory University's School of Law first on the same list.


- The National Jurist

Professor receives Biochemistry title

University biochemistry and molecular biology professor, Michael W. Adams, was named Georgia Power Professor in Biotechnology.


- University News Service

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