……………………There are two stories in one…………………………………

Cool, academic heads will prevail during strike

Monday is the day. It is the day we as a University can prove that we are strong enough to stand in the face of adversity – despite the apparent chaos that may be present.

Keep your cool and respect other people’s opinions.

Students:Keep your cool. Attend your classes, for that is the only way to find out what is going on and whether your professor has gone on strike. That person may be replaced by the second or third class period, so attend every day just to check. In addition, this isn’t junior high. If you see faculty marching, do not hurl insults at them. As an institution of higher learning, we must remember that diversity and diverse opinions are what makes this country what it is.

Non-union faculty:Keep your cool. This University has been split on the issue of faculty. Not only is it divided between the students, faculty and administration, but the faculty form two groups. As the strike approaches, things have been getting a bit ugly, demonstrated through vehement letters on these very editorial pages. This is a university where academic freedom reigns. Freedom in general is the name of America.

Union faculty:Keep your cool. March and picket and demonstrate your views. It is just as American as the freedom of choice for non-union faculty. Do what you must, but keep your cool. You can disagree with others respectfully.

Administration:Keep your cool. This whole thing is tough on everyone. If there is a strike, you and the union faculty need to hammer an agreement out soon. We at the Daily Egyptian get sick of thinking about SIUC’s negative image, but it must be said that ugly picketing with students and non-union faculty throwing insults and other objects could be reminiscent of the Halloween nightmares we so recently discarded.

Even Gus Bode will be keeping his cool this week.

So, Gus says:Remember we’re educated adults. And act like it.

The Daily Egyptian has received numerous phone calls and letters regarding our Wednesday editorial, ” Arbitration not the answer to avoid strike.” Most of the response has been about the definition we printed for arbitration.

Yes, there are many different forms of arbitration. According to a spokesman for the Illinois Labor Relations Board, the type of arbitration used in any given situation depends on the type agreed upon by the two involved parties.

And according to Mark Brittingham, University lawyer, and Peter Ruger, University Counsel, the type to be used in the faculty and administration situation would be the type explained in our editorial, in which each party submits a proposal and the arbitrator selects one.

The Egyptian apologizes for the confusion, but we stand by our aforementioned opinion, if the arbitration used is to be the type mentioned in our editorial. The administration officially rejected the faculty association’s invitation for arbitration during a press conference Thursday. We agree with the decision. As we’ve said, we do not support a faculty walkout, but arbitration in this manner is too simplistic and will only cause more confusion and more trouble in the end.