The Muse, vol. 30, no. 04 (1 October 1979)

              Doyle attacks two CSU Execs
By John Parsons
Damage to a Paton College
Residence in the early hours of
Monday morning last week has raised
a considerable anger, particularly
among Doyle House residents.
A group allegedly from Bowater
House spent the early morning hours
in a screaming spree in the College
Square, according to reports. Beer
bottles and fist-sized rocks were
hurled through some windows,
causing considerable damage. At one
point, a member of the Residence
Staff was said to have asked the group
to stop their attack, but was ignored.
Residents of Doyle House say that
this attack will not go unnoticed. "It's
pretty bad when you can't sleep in
your own bed," said one. A committee
to deal with this problem is said to
have been formed. Doyle House
president Dave Hayes would give no
comment as a representative of either
that committee, or the regular House
Committee.
A petition circulating through some
of the male residence calls for
disciplinary action against some
members of Bowater House, Hayes
called the petition "rushed and
emotional". "The request is right",
but "The request is right," he said,
"But the petition should have been
considered more."
One Doyle resident who witnessed
the whole attack asid the MUN
Security was called several times
during the fray but failed to show up.
No one reached at the Security office
by the Muse could either confirm or
deny these reports.
Mr. B. Miller, Assistant Manager of
Student Housing, said that the concern was not over the antics, so much
as the way the damage was done.
A letter to the Muse, signed "Doyle
House" calls for the resignation of
CSU Executive Vice-President Kevin
Saunders and Academic Vice-
President Kirk Anderson, indicating
that the two were involved in the*
incident. Both Saunders and Anderson had no comment, but it was
learned that they had been in touch
with a lawyer in connection with the
incident.
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In to
Mmt
Employment
OTTAWA (CUP) -- Employment and
immigration minister Ron Atkey
agreed Sept. 17 to involve the National
Union of Students in a consultative
process taking place before any
changes in unemployment insurance
are introduced.
In the first meeting between NUS
and Atkey, the minister said the
confidential government paper
outlining possible cuts in unemployment benefits is only a
"discussion paper" and that the
government will be seeking input
from labour and women's groups as
well as from NUS, according to NUS
chairperson Alex Daschko.
At the meeting NUS representatives outlined their concern about
the possible effects on students of
changes discussed in teh paper, which
was leaked to the press earlier in
September, said NUS researcher Jeff
Parr.
Atkey told NUS that no concrete
proposals have been made to the
government and that none will be
made until the consultative process is
completed, probably in late fall, Parr
said.
But at a meeting with Atkey Sept.
14, the National Action Committee on
teh Status of Women said the minister
told them that the review of the
unemployment insurance program
will result in cuts.
NAC condemned proposed changes
outlined in the discussion paper which
would reduce benefits to low-income
earners, who are disproportionately
women. NAC says there should be no
cutbacks in unemployment insurance
at a time of high unemployment.
"Reducing benefits even further is
to fight the serious economic
problems of this country on the backs
of those least able to afford it, the
unemployed."
Atkey said at the meeting with NUS
that the creation of a new Youth
Employment Secretariat, announced
Sept. 15, will allow the coordination of
all current federal youth employment
programs.
But atkey also said, in reply to
criticism of the low wages paid under
the current Young Canada Works
program, that there is no additional
money available to increase the
salaries.
NUS told the minister that students
working in the program, which
usually pays the minimum wage,
cannot save enough money during a
summer to pay for their studies in the
fall.
Daschko said he felt the meeting
went well but that NUS hopes to meet
regularly with the minister in the
future to discuss specific issues in
greater detail.
imscene
Newfoundland is in the midst of
several strikes, including the one at
the Famous Players Theatres in the '
Avalon Mall. According to Mac
Smeaton, union negotiator, the strike
is shaping up to be a "long drawn-out
affair". The strike, which began
August 17th, involves approximately
30 employees, mostly students, in
three Famous Players Theatres
across Nfld., - St. John's, Gander and
Corner Brook.
"Wages are everything", says
Smeaton, but other issues include
accumulative sick leave and length of
contract. Famous players are
pushing for a three year contract,
which Smeaton feels is unreasonable.
Smeaton claims he has neard no word
from company negotiators in seven
weeks. The two negotiators represent
Famous Players Theatre, and Sobeys
Ltd.; who own 50% of Nfld.
Amusements.
Strikers in the Avalon Mall cinema
are picketing only during showtimes,
which amounts to about 5 hours daily.
A strike schedule has been drawn up
for as far ahead as January 1980, and
one employee claims the strike fee of
fifty dollars a week is next to nothing
each, so the union has a weely draw in
which one lucky persons wins the
money.
Smeaton feels the union isn't willing
to give students a raise since the
money will be wasted on "chewing
gum, cigarettes and nylons". When
asked by the muse to give his opinion,
company        spokesman, George
Destounis,  declined to comment on
the situation.