Socialists
and Union Meet
By John Byrne
An
undercurrent of apparent tension between the leadership of the Oberlin
College Office and Professional Employees union and the student-led
Socialist Alternative seems to be lessening, as union leaders and
socialists meet Friday, Nov. 22 to discuss issues surrounding conflicts
which arose when the socialists mounted a protest that overshadowed
the union’s two weeks ago. The open forum was held today.
“The breakdown that occurred between the student movement
and the unions has been exaggerated,” Socialist Alternative
leader Ted Virdone said Wednesday. “There’s much more
collaboration and communication than have been reported.”
But he admitted that errors were made. “There have been breakdowns,
we made mistakes,” he said.
In particular, he said, SA erred in not showing OCOPE the flyer
that was circulated at their protests two weeks ago Thursday.
“We should have shown them the leaflet,” he said. “We’re
sorry we had one number wrong on that leaflet.
“More importantly, we should have run the press release by
them,” he added. “In retrospect, it would have been
better for the press release to have been for Friday’s action.”
SA sent a press release to the Cleveland Plain Dealer on the protest,
and the Plain Dealer ran a story on Friday. Because they had covered
a story Thursday, the paper declined to cover Friday’s event.
OCOPE Vice President Julie Weir agreed.
“The only clash we have had was in scheduling the demonstrations,
and unfortunately the press was unwilling to cover two events,”
she said.
“I would encourage students to continue to seek out and talk
to union
members and workers on campus, to learn more about the facts, that
there are issues beyond just the layoffs,” she continued,
“and to continue to express their concerns to the Administration,
to let them know that things that negatively impact workers negatively
impact students.
“I hope that students, when there are rallies or demonstrations,
will continue to participate. The Administration needs to learn
that students are concerned and [that] there will be future demonstrations,”
she added.
“Something that I think has been lost in these discussion
is the overriding fact that we are all in this together,”
Virdone said.
“These layoffs are also cuts in student services, and they
also affect the community,” he added. “We all have to
fight the Administration together.” |