Union takes action one step further

By Robert Salonga
Daily Bruin Staff

The union representing a library assistant at the Young Research
Library who was suspended for mass e-mailing a political message
has filed a second grievance with the university.

After suspending Jonnie Hargis Sept. 17-21 for sending an e-mail
criticizing what he called U.S.-supported apartheid policies in
Israel, the university, on Oct. 15, offered to restore him to full
status, pay back all lost wages and benefits, expunge disciplinary
action from his personnel file and apologize for its actions.

Barbara Furgeson, labor relations specialist for the university,
confirmed the university’s offer but declined to comment
further.

The library also sent out a departmental message on Oct. 15
rescinding a Sept. 14 e-mail that outlined a policy that
“sending unsolicited e-mails containing political, religious
or even patriotic messages” to departmental lists was an
unacceptable use of library e-mail.

The e-mail was sent the day Hargis was notified of his
suspension ““ after he was suspended.

The Oct. 15 e-mail was sent by Associate University Librarian
Terry Ryan via Lorraine Kram, head of reference and instructional
services at YRL.

Dawn Setzer, spokeswoman for university library communications,
confirmed the rescission, but would not comment further, citing
library policy not to publicly discuss personnel issues.

But some issues remain unresolved, said Liza Go, Hargis’
representative from the Coalition of Union Employees, which
represents library workers in the UC system.

CUE has filed a Step Two grievance, which provides the union an
opportunity to rebut any charges made.

“They failed to address the issue of creation of new work
rules in order to justify discipline after the fact,” Go
said.

In the Step Two hearings, CUE will present a stipulation that
the library staff undergo anti-discrimination training, Go
said.

CUE first filed a Step One grievance ““ which is a formal
review of the incident ““ with the university and met with
labor relation representatives Oct. 5.

Since returning from his suspension, Hargis has appeared on
several radio shows discussing the matter and has recently been
approached by a Northwestern University publication and CNN to tell
his story.

Hargis has also experienced negative backlash in response to his
actions. He said he has received e-mail threats following his radio
appearances and death threats over the phone.

In addition, Hargis said he no longer feels comfortable at work
and described what he called hostile treatment in the workplace.
But Hargis, who has worked at the library for 22 years, has no
plans to quit his job.

“I will not be run out from my job,” Hargis said,
adding that the university “owes me more than back
pay.”

“It’s scary for all workers everywhere to be careful
about what is said in public,” he added.

Hargis originally wrote his e-mail Sept. 12 in response to
co-worker Michelle Torre’s message, which cited the widely
distributed “America: The Good Neighbor,” a speech
written by Gordon Sinclair in 1973 that defended the U.S. from its
critics.

Torre, who was not disciplined for her mass e-mail, wrote it in
response to the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and
Pentagon.

Hargis wrote back to her and the department, attacking the
U.S.’s funding of an apartheid state in Israel and criticized
U.S. bombing of Iraq.