Well, it's a bit breezy these days in Lederle Tower as caulking around windows

has fallen out and plans are in progress to repair this as well as and the caulking

around exterior panels. But during the assessment process, the existence of

PCBs in the old caulking in Tower A and the low-rise building were discovered.

PCBs are man-made compounds that have been banned in the US since 1977 because of concerns over toxicity and the persistence in the environment. There are very strict rules to be followed in the removal of these types of substances and the company who will be doing this abatement presented their proposal to the University on May 23, 2007.

WEINGARTEN RIGHTS

If you are ever called into a meeting with your supervisor or manager so that they can investigate a situation which might result in discipline, you have specific representational rights.

You have the right to have a Union steward or union representative present.

If you want a steward there, you must ask for him or her.

If you do not know why your manager wants to meet with you, ask him/her if it is a meeting that could result in a discipline.

If your manager refuses to allow you to bring a steward, repeat your request in front of a witness. Do not refuse to attend the meeting, but do not answer any questions either. Take notes. Once the meeting is over call your steward at once.

You have the right to speak privately with your steward before the meeting and during the meeting. Your steward has the right to play an active role in the meeting. She or he is not just witness.

President's Corner by Donna Johnson

Dear USA Members,

Congratulations! Another academic year is over, and we all survived. I know you are

not often told this, but thank you all for the hard work you do.

As the warm weather approaches and we start dreaming of taking our vacations (well deserved), I would like to ask all of you to take some time to consider working with me on our legislative committee. This committee is important to the USA and we need to do a better job at this. When we were trying to get our contracts funded, it was made abundantly clear to me that having continuous contact with our legislators is vital to our mission.

MTA Annual Meeting 2007
by Sylvia Snape

The following U.S.A. Members, thanks to your votes last April, attended Annual Meeting on

May 10th and 11th in Boston: Jane Litwin-Taylor, Dave Korowski, Leslie Marsland, Frank Olbris,

Linda Fish, Pat Hardnett, Dave Litterer, Patricia Link, Linda Merritt, Karen Markham, Deb Warner,

and Linda Hillenbrand. USA President, Donna Johnson and Membership Secretary, Sylvia Snape, also attended as Directors of MTA. The meeting went very smoothly, and Frank Olbris proposed a new business item, Support for Single Payer Health Care.

The FY'08 budget was passed, including a small dues increase.

Courage By Doris Goodwin

Elizabeth Holtzman from FSAP works across the hall from me at UHS. A few weeks back,

over coffee, she mentioned that she has sent clients to their respective unions when their

problems centered on work issues could be addressed through union action. Interestingly,

I am also privy, via bargaining meetings, to union concerns; members come with problems but because of fears of reprisal do not want the union to address them. It made me wonder how far I could be pushed before I would act with disregard to consequences. I remembered reading an article by Peter Jaret in Health Magazine (March 2005; pp 120-124) about courage.

RECLASSIFICATION INSTRUCTIONS...

There are now new step-by-step instructions for reclassifications on the USA website. This has been empty for quite some time while we all figured out the process for ourselves. I've been working with Tetna on upgrading these instructions, so please throw out anything old you may have and use these. -- Linda Hillenbrand

Editor's note: A reclassification is done when you feel the work you are currently doing requires more skill than the job you were originally hired for. A reclassification is not done if you are doing more work, just more difficult and skill-demanding type of work. If you have any questions, contact your steward or Linda.

BUNNIES ARE NOT FOR KIDS

BY ROBIN COOLBETH

Walking at the pond on campus, I saw a mother duck and her eight ducklings. I thought about the different baby animals that come into the world during this time of year. All baby animals are adorable and children are especially attracted to them. Some well meaning adults think it is a good idea to get a child a gift of a duckling, a chick or a bunny. Getting any pet for a child can be problematic, but each one has its own special needs.

A child under the age of 11 will be tempted to pick up a rabbit and squeeze it. The rabbit will panic and fight to get away. He could end up scratching or biting the child. Supervision of child/rabbit interaction is very important.

Also, rabbits are very social animals. They live in groups with a specific hierarchy. They also can be very engaging and affectionate with human beings. To show his affection, Alfie, licks my hands and ankles.

If you have other pets, a rabbit needs to be introduced into the family very slowly and carefully. Rabbits are very territorial. Alfie has his own special place on the living room couch. When anyone else sits in that spot, he gets very cranky. Guests are immediately informed and if uncomfortable with him, Alfie is taken to another room.

Another characteristic of rabbits is that their teeth grow constantly. This is why they must chew and chew and chew. In adolescence they will chew anything and everything in the house, like a puppy. Electrical cords are especially a hazard, but furniture and clothing are also at risk.

Alfie has been a wonderful pet. If you do your research and know the ways to take care of and protect a bunny, you will experience the same feelings of love and companionship that you would with a more traditional pet.

An Encounter with the Dalai Lama

by Linda Wallack

Yesterday (May 9th) was an amazing day. I went to JMG Hall to save some seats (for the open-to-the-public simulcast) , and then, being determined to at least get a glimpse of the Dalai Lama, I went to Ainsworth gym and joined a small group of peope, who also had the same idea. My friends Karen, Peter and Wendy were there, and my daugher Elena. We waited for quite a while, and then saw the President of Smith College emerge from a car, and go in through one of the side doors of the gym. So we figured, that was THE door, so we inched our way closer to the entrance.

Different from Romney

Unlike ex-Governor Mitt Romney, Governor Deval Patrick:supports the 130 tower Cape Wind

proposal at Nantucket Sound, and 20 more turbines in Monroe MA and Florida MA

(Berkshire County), supports gay marriage,opposes abstinence-only sexual education programs (he refused a $700,000 grant for abstinence-only sex ed),supports stem cell biotechnology, supports solar energy and other energy conservations, has had Massachusetts rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative,and ended the Commonwealth Development Coordinating Council.

On February 9, Governor Deval L. Patrick split the Dept of Telecommunications and Energy into two, bringing back the Dept of Public Utilities that 1998 Gov Paul Cellucci eliminated, and a new (as yet unnamed) public utilities commission.

First, let's all understand that-unlike the other unions on campus-USA workers are all volunteers and don't get paid-except for Jane in the USA office who is only part time and does an incredible job in the few hours she is there. As for the rest of us, you can double or triple out salaries and we still won't be making any money. Unfortunately, over the years a few of our much needed volunteers have gotten overwhelmed by the apathy and criticism of our members and left our ranks. And many of us have been tempted at times to go that route. Workin' for free ain't easy.

Second, on a good day, we have less than a dozen volunteers who are trying to handle all the business and problems that arise in an organization that has about a thousand members and no shortage of issues that crop up daily. We are busy. We have lots of stuff on our plates. We do not get paid. Did I mention that we do not get paid? We do this work because we believe in it, and because we believe in helping people. So cut us some slack.

And look at the bright side: even if you think that the Union is totally screwed up and not being run the way you want, at least it isn't costing you any money for staffing. And if you've got the energy to bitch, moan and complain, then maybe you've got the energy to put your money where your mouth is and get involved. Don't be afraid to help the few of us who are trying to keep this thing afloat. We're all in this together, and we need and welcome all the additional support we can get.

A couple of weekends ago, the Greenfield Fairgrounds was filled to overflowing campers

and RVs for the good Sam's club jamboree. I was in awe of how many huge RVs there

were and how these elderly people could afford to continue this past time in their retirement. The vehicles are expensive and what must it cost to drive those gas hogs all over the place like they do? I expressed this amazement to the person I once went and got the response, "they've worked hard all their lives to do this."

Really, is it that easy? I wasn't making the comment to criticize those individuals…I was just wondering what had happened. After all these weren't CEOs sitting outside expensive, gas guzzling vehicles…they were regular folks. I know most working people today are struggling to keep their bills paid on a week to week basis. Retirement like what I was looking at, seems highly unlikely. What has changed?

The police and plain clothes men stopped us, and told us to move back. I told the guy he looked like someone from the Matrix. Much to my surprise, he laughed, and said that he was just a bald Irishman, and that they dress him like that! So we moved back and waited some more, and finally, we see the police escort, and the arrival of the Dalai Lama. He gets out of his car and waves to us, and we do the same, and with our hands together, give him the traditional greeting. And then, to the surprise of all of us, he starts RUNNING towards us, and all the plain clothes-man and police can do nothing but follow him. People greet him, and shake his hand, and hug him, and people were crying and shaking and being very emotional. It WAS very emotional. And then, he loves photos, so he wanted his picture taken with all of us, so people passed their cameras to the plain clothes men and they snapped all of the group photos. What an amazing experience. Elena now does an imitation of the "Dalai Lama run". I am still in amazement and so grateful to have had this experience. We were only hoping for a glimpse, and we got so so much more. His skin is like silk. Unbelievable. This experience will be with me for the rest of my life. And he gave a good talk, too, which we saw when we went back to JMG. The part of campus around JMG is filled w/Tibetan flags, and today, he is meeting w/1,000 Tibetans from all over New England, including the 100+ who live in the valley. I saw them walking in their beautiful clothes on Main St. today on my way to work.

BUNNIES ARE NOT FOR KIDS BY ROBIN COOLBETH

I have a dwarf rabbit named Alfie. He is now 7 years of age. I have had him since he was six weeks old and could fit in the palm of my hand. I have learned a lot about rabbits and their special circumstances and needs. For instance, they have a very delicate bone structure. When you are holding a rabbit, you must hold him securely with one arm under his feet and the other arm holding his body close to you. Otherwise, he will be afraid of fallingand will squirm and try to jump down. A rabbit falling could break his spine. A child under the age of 11 will be tempted to pick up a rabbit and squeeze it. The rabbit will panic and fight to get away. He could end up scratching or biting the child. Supervision of child/rabbit interaction is very important.

Whenever I see or hear of a rabbit sitting in a hutch in the backyard all day, it makes me sad. First of all, domesticated rabbits should be indoor rabbits. They cannot protect themselves in the wild. This instinct has been bred out of them. There are many creatures that prey on rabbits. Sooner or later the rabbit will become victim to a predator if it is sitting outside in a hutch all day and night. Also, rabbits are very social animals. They live in groups with a specific hierarchy. They also can be very engaging and affectionate with human beings. To show his affection, Alfie, licks my hands and ankles.

Rabbits need exercise like anyone else. They should be taken out of their cages and allowed to run around. They can be taught to play catch and other games. Alfie goes in and out of his cage during the day. He jumps in the cage to use his litter box and drink from his water bottle. He knows when it is bed time and will come for a treat and put in his cage for the night. Another characteristic of rabbits is that their teeth grow constantly. This is why they must chew and chew and chew. In adolescence they will chew anything and everything in the house, like a puppy. Electrical cords are especially a hazard, but furniture and clothing are also at risk.

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