Banner Graphic, Volume 13, Number 44, Greencastle, Putnam County, 27 October 1982 — Page 3

Chrysler workers OK extension

Kv The Associated Press Indiana's Chrysler workers followed a national trend in voting 3,672-595 in favor of staying on the job through early nextyear. All six Indiana locals voted to keep working. “Everybody got their eyes opened. Thanksgiving is coming up, Christmas is coming up, probably another hard winter, and everybody pays utility bills of S2OO plus. The guys just can’t afford to strike,’ said Dave Johnson, president of United Auto Workers Local 1166, which represents about 600 hourly workers at the Chrysler Casting plant in Kokomo. UAW members, who are working without a contract with no future negotiations scheduled, had two choices. They could either agree to work

'Executive session' prompts action

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) A Fort Wayne City Council meeting conducted privately last week violates state law, the Journal-Gazette Co. charged in a suit against the council. The suit filed Tuesday in Allen Superior Court contends the closed session was illegal on several grounds, including that the subject of the meeting. Capt. Michael Holly, director of the Fort Wayne-Alien County Board of Health enforcement division, is not under the council’s jurisdiction. The Open Door Law passed in 1977 is designed to insure that public agencies conduct business openly so that residents may be fully informed. The law permits agencies to conduct closed sessions, but limits discussion to topics such as collective bargaining, pending litigation and personnel matters. The Journal-Gazette’s suit states that by the time news media are aware of a possible violation of the law, it is too late to obtain a remedy. The suit says it is necessary for the court to require compliance with the law if it is to be effective. The Journal-Gazette asked for a permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants from violating the Open Door Law in the future. The suit contends the council violated state law by giving improper notice of executive session namely that the notice did not describe the purpose of the meeting. The suit also says state law was violated because the council .conducted the executive sdfcston in the middle of a commeeting, rather than at tht beginning or end, as state lajv permits.

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under the terms of their old contract until early next year or to strike Nov.l. The company's 43,200 working UAW members, along with an uncalculated number of the 40,000 workers on indefinite layoff, were eligible to vote in Tuesday’s one-day referendum. Members of Local 1166 at the Kokomo die casting plant voted 396-142 to stay on the job. At the Kokomo transmission

The suit contends Holley was not a proper topic for discussion because state law permits executive sessions to discuss only those employees under the government agency’s jurisdiction. Holly is a county employee. “It doesn’t bother me one way or another,” said Councilman Mark E. GiaQuinta. “I’m pretty indifferent over the whole thing.” “The city has been sued since the beginning of time. It makes headlines. Nothing will ever come of it,” said Councilman Paul Mike Burns. Several council members said if they violated the law when they met Oct. 19 they weren’t aware of it, even though the Journal-Gazette filed a written protest before the session. Members assumed because the subject was a personnel matter, they were acting within the law, the newspaper said. Councilman Donald J. Schmidt said the executive session was called because the council wanted to know why Holly was suspended last month by the health board. Council members were concerned about reports Holly was suspended because he lobbied before the council to include three sanitary officers in a city pension program. During the closed session, the council learned the health board suspended Holly for several reasons, including the pension controversy. Council members conceded afterward the session was not especially enlighting. “I don’t know what the council had it for,” said Councilman Roy J. Schomburg. “I thoguht it was a waste of time.”

state

plant, Local 685 voted 2,142-371 to extend the contract. Members of Local 1302 in Kokomo, which includes engineering and clerical salaried workers, approved the extension 87-7. The first Indiana local to announce its results was Local 1226 at the Indianapolis electrical plant. Members voted 830-56 in favor of extending the agreement. Local 550 at the Indianapolis

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foundry voted 445-26 for extension, and members of Local 371 in New Castle voted 602-49 in favor of extending their contract. When the union negotiating team goes back to the bargaining table in January, “Chrysler will tell them here’s what was offered Sept. 14 and this is all we got today,” Johnson predicted. But Johnson said he would not

Chrysler workers to strike then either, mainly because of the season. Come May 1, Johnson says “ask me that question again.” The union leader said he was surprised by Tuesday’s vote since members voted 80 percent against the tentative contract, but he said he talked with several hundred workers, and concluded they weren’t voting to strike when they voted down the tentative agreement. Local 1226 President David Wilkins, who heads a group which represents 860 workers and 2,300 people on indefinite layoff at the Chrysler electrical plant in Indianapolis, had predicted the contract extension would carry locally. “We voted 70 percent in favor of the contract that was rejected nationally,” said Wilkins.

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October 27,1982, The Putnam County Banner-Graphic

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