Issuu

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Ann Arbor, Michigan

michigandaily.com

Michigan Medicine nurses authorize strike

Union alleges University officials have refused to negotiate in good faith

Law professor sues ‘U’ for racial and genderbased discrimination Laura Beny accuses school of unfair pay practices and unlawful harassment

RILEY HODDER & IRENA LI Daily News Reporters

TESS CROWLEY/Daily

IRENA LI

Daily News Reporter

The University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council (UMPNC) voted to authorize a strike Friday afternoon after months of unsuccessful contract negotiations with the University, according to a statement from the union. The authorization is not an announcement of an immediate work stoppage but would allow the bargaining unit to call for a strike at any point. According to the statement, 96% of voting members voted in favor of the strike authorization. The release says the union would only call for a strike if they deem it “absolutely necessary” to protest the University’s alleged unfair labor practices. An FAQ section regarding the vote on the UMPNC website says union leadership sought

authorization to strike because it believes the University has violated labor practices in its negotiations. “We are voting to authorize a work stoppage for the purpose of protesting the university’s alleged unfair labor practices,” the website reads. “We believe the university has failed to bargain in good faith, made improper changes to our working conditions, and has undermined our elected union … We just want the university to respect our rights, voice, and union.” Michigan Medicine spokeswoman Mary Masson said in a statement that the University was disappointed in the UMPNC’s decision to authorize a strike and that preparations are being made if a work stoppage were to occur. “Patients can still expect to receive the same high quality care at our hospitals and health centers,” Masson said in the statement. “We are currently

planning to ensure safe staffing levels if a work stoppage occurs.” The UMPNC is a branch of the Michigan Nurses Association, which published a statement on the vote Friday and said over 4,000 MNA-UMPNC members participated in the vote. “The vote shows that thousands of nurses are united in standing up for their rights and demanding respect,” Renee Curtis, president of MNA-UMPNC, wrote in the statement. “We will not sit by while the university violates the law, especially when it comes to their refusal to negotiate over safe workloads. Nurses are ready to do whatever it takes to hold the university accountable. The strike authorization comes after the MNA filed a lawsuit last month alleging the University violated the Public Employment Relations Act of 1947 by refusing to bargain over nurses’ workloads. Negotiations between

the University and Michigan Medicine nurses have been ongoing since March 15, with nurses having worked without a contract since the previous one expired on July 1. According to Masson, the nurse’s union and the University are close to a resolution. The current proposal includes a 21% base pay increase in nurses over the next four years, the elimination of mandatory overtime and a $4,000 bonus for each member of the bargaining unit. The union said in the statement that members would be attending the next Board of Regents meeting on September 22 to “make sure (the regents) understand what Michigan Medicine’s administration has been doing.” Daily Staff Reporter Irena Li can be reached at irenayli@ umich.edu.

Laura Beny, University of Michigan Law School professor, filed a lawsuit in the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against the University and Law School Dean Mark West on Friday, claiming race, gender, familial and marital status discrimination. The lawsuit, which names the University, the Law School and West as defendants, asserts that Beny experienced a hostile work environment created by her co-workers and employers throughout her time at the University. The suit claims that she encountered multiple instances of gender and race discrimination in her classroom and, upon reporting, the situations were not remediated by the University. The lawsuit references the Law School’s “lock step” payroll policy in which employees hired at the same pay rate are expected to receive equivalent raises, and the lawsuit claims that Beny was not given pay raises in lock step with a white male and white female professor who were hired at the same salary as her. According to the lawsuit, Beny sought a meeting with West in 2014 on this issue, who claimed that it was a clerical error. West then applied for a retroactive pay increase for Beny, the lawsuit says. “(Beny) felt that the administration had penalized her for having championed equality and making complaints about inequities at the law school,” the lawsuit reads. University spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen told The Michigan Daily in an email that the allegations were baseless. Beny, who was hired at the University in 2003, remains as a tenured faculty member at the Law School, Broekhuizen added. “The University of Michigan

will vigorously defend itself and the Law School against the meritless allegations made by Professor Laura Beny in her complaint,” Broekhuizen wrote. The lawsuit describes several instances throughout Beny’s tenure in which she allegedly faced derogatory remarks and harassment regarding her race, gender and familial status, including from West. The suit asserts that the University and West are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, which prohibits discrimmination based on disabilities and protects the right for temporary leave. The lawsuit claims that West made multiple inappropriate comments regarding Beny’s appearance, as well as the appearance of her female co-workers, and insinuated that Beny was a “dominatrix” on multiple occasions. Included in the lawsuit was one email in which West signed off with “Your humble minion.” “This theme of (Beny) being a dominatrix has been constant in Dean West’s inappropriate sexist and racist comments towards (Beny) and it has influenced his discrimination and retaliation to her in the present,” the lawsuit reads. “(Beny) felt demeaned and horrified. (Beny) was a new single mother, her daughter being exactly one year old. No other single parents were on the faculty at (the University’s) Law School, to (Beny’s) knowledge and belief, and Defendant West never spoke to other new mothers, white women, on the faculty in the same offensive manner.” West was also implicated in controversy in March 2021, when he publicly apologized for featuring racist and sexually suggestive depictions of Asian women on his book covers. The suit recalls West’s apology and claims it was merely “lip service,” as he did not apologize to Beny for his continued race- and gender-based

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Festifall brings crowds and success to student organizations Relaxed pandemic-era policies attract new members, restore feelings of normalcy at fall club fair

CARLIN PENDELL Daily News Reporter

Festifall returned to the University of Michigan this week with student organizations lining the streets of campus hoping to recruit the next class of promising students. Festifall began Tuesday on North Campus in the late afternoon before moving to Central Campus on Thursday for afternoon and evening sessions on the Diag and Ingalls Mall. This week’s festivities marked the second in-person student org recruitment event since classes were canceled due to the COVID19 pandemic in March 2020. Last year, Festifall was conducted fully in person while Winterfest, the winter semester equivalent, was held virtually due to the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19.

Over the two days, Festifall, organized by the Center for Campus Involvement (CCI), hosted over 750 student organizations, community vendors and campus departments seeking to engage and recruit students. Devon Vaughn, program manager for student development in CCI, estimated that about 9,000 people, primarily students, attended Festifall on Central Campus, and about 3,000 people attended Festifall on North Campus. Vaughn said the in-person format allowed organizations to connect with students. “Fully virtual (events) are such a challenge. You don’t have those moments of connection and face to face contact. Last year, we came back for the first time, and it was great, but there was a lot of hesitation,” Vaughn said. “This year, it felt a lot closer to what we saw in 2019 and 2018. The attendance was beyond what (the

CCI) expected.” Vaughn spoke on some of the more difficult aspects of Festifall and how the CCI plans to mitigate the challenges of such a large event. “I think really great connections are being made,” Vaughn said. “There are challenges, like (Festifall) is overwhelming. It’s huge. One of the things we’ve tried to do is offer a one-on-one appointment after Festifall for those who could use that kind of space.” LSA freshman Maddison Linker attended Festifall on Thursday and shared her thoughts on the event. “I was a little overwhelmed at first because it seemed like a lot of people, but now that I’m here, it feels a lot better, and I’m very excited to be learning about all these organizations,” Linker said. “I love it. Other than the free items, I would say I’m really excited about joining the volunteering clubs and

even some of the more random clubs. I’m looking for fun things to do outside of class.” With a return to normal life on campus, many organizations felt this semester’s Festifall differed from the midpandemic. Public Health senior Meghna Singh is the president and programming chair of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at the University (AFSP-UM). The organization’s table was scattered with pins, stickers, flyers and candy on Thursday in the Diag. Singh talked about AFSP-UM’s recruitment process this semester. “The energy is what’s different,” Singh said. “There’s definitely more people walking around checking out tables, versus a virtual environment, which we’ve done multiple times. It’s just not as successful. I’m glad to see people are

excited and wanting to get back involved again.” Engineering junior Nicole Baalbaki is the Director of Finance for the Syrian Student Association. She discussed the association’s tactics for recruiting new members at Festifall. “I think just playing some good Arabic music, Syrian music, teaching people about our culture, and who we are,” Baalbaki said. “Just being ourselves, showing what our culture is.” While some Festifall participants said they are planning for a primarily in-person semester, many said they will use online meetings in the early stages of membership. LSA junior Deniz Kirca, outreach chair of the Neuroscience Student Association (NSA),, explained that while his organization is conducting many in-person events this year, the NSA is still using a hybrid format.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

KATE HUA/Daily

UMich plans for COVID-19 and monkeypox on campus: Free rapid tests, vaccination headline prevention strategies GEORGE WEYKAMP & RONI KANE Daily News Editors

Monday marks the beginning of the fourth academic year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. And as the U-M community embarks on another school year, The Michigan Daily has you covered with the most frequently asked questions about health and safety on campus. With the state of Michigan still grappling with COVID-19 and the monkeypox virus (MPV) reaching the state in June of this year, campus leaders have been tasked to

make preparations for the viruses’ impact on campus this fall. COVID-19 Who was consulted in making plans for Fall 2022? In preparation for the Fall 2022 semester, the University created the Public Health Infection Prevention and Response Advisory Committee to advise on safety plans, University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald told The Daily in an email. The committee includes specialists from Michigan Medicine on infection prevention, University Health Services (UHS),

GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

Follow The Daily on Instagram, @michigandaily

the School of Public Health, athletic department, leadership from all three U-M campuses and other university professionals according to Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald also wrote that University established the Department of Infection Prevention and Epidemiology in 2020 within UHS to oversee aspects of the University’s infectious disease response. What percentage of classes will be taught in person for the Fall 2022 semester? The University did not provide an exact percentage of classes taught

in person during the Fall 2022 semester. Fitzgerald confirmed that the University will be welcoming everyone back for a “fully residential” semester, but also recognized “the important role of technology, in the classroom and for other academic activities, to augment the learning experience and to address accessibility needs, consistent with pedagogical and programmatic needs.” It is expected that some courses will continue to be fully remote. Why are vaccine-exempt students no longer required to test weekly?

For more stories and coverage, visit

michigandaily.com

INDEX

Robert Ernst, U-M chief health officer, announced in an email to the campus community on August 18 that testing would be optional but “encouraged” for anyone who is not up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations required by the University last fall and winter. Fitzgerald wrote that the University’s COVID-19 response has shifted to encouraging individual risk assessment related to adoption of vaccination, testing, masking and social distancing. Will the University continue to offer free single-use antigen tests at on-campus COVID-19 testing

sites? Single-use antigen tests will be available at Community Sampling and Tracking Program sites for U-M students and employees. Fitzgerald did not confirm how many tests the University has reserved for the fall semester, but he wrote that “everyone is encouraged to have antigen tests on hand” in case they develop symptoms and need to test quickly. How will students be able to report COVID-19 results taken on an at-home test?

N E W S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 ARTS...................3