Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 8, 1984, edition 1 / Page 10
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/ f Page AlO-TheChrontcle, Thursday, March 8, 191 Employees picket By ROBIN ADAMS Staff Writer For the past eight weeks, 13 former black employees of National Linen Service on Stratford Road have been picketing the company for what they call the "unjust"^ way they were fired. c?ti /" ? ?? l j . jiiiu iiuciba ^iowney, wno naa oeen witn National Linen?for 11 years before she was fired Jan. 13, "We want them to know that we are fighting for our rights. They took advantage of us because we are black and they thought we wouldn't do anything about it. "We plan to keep at it until, we get our jobs back because we were fired unjust," she said. Company officials couldn't be reached for comment. During an ice storm on Jan. 13, the employees at National Linen Service, most of whom are black women, asked permission to go home early. Their immediate supervisor granted them permission to leave at 2 p.m., two hours before the normal work day ends, said Clowney. When the time came to leave, the supervisor told them they would have to wait another hour, she said. "They gave the office girls the option to go whenever they wanted to," Clowney said. "1 don't see why we "We plan to keep at it until we get our jobs back because we were fired unjust. " ? Thressa Clowney couldn't have the same option." When 2 p.m. came, Clowne? said she and 12 other women left work, thinking their action would bring a warning note at the most. But on Saturday night, the day after they left, the supervisor and company manager met with the employees shop steward, Lillie Brooks, and decided to fire the 13 employees, who are members of the Brotherhood of Railroad, Steamship and Airline, Clerks of America Union. When the employees came back to work on Monday, Clowney said their shop steward asked them to leave the company and go to their cars and wait. "We waited in our cars almost two hours and nobody told us nothing,^CIowney"said. "Nobody has ever come" to our face and told us that we were fired. We received a notice in the mail with our last check saying that we had been terminated." Not only are the women upset with National Linen Service, they are also upset that their union has not given them the support they feel it should. "They (union) haven't showed us any kind of consideration," Clowney said. "What we are doing now, Pat Hairston at the NAACP advised, and he has been out here with us." Equal admissions could mean troub By ROBIN ADAMS Chronicle Staff Writer Winston-Salem State University officials are not sure if a mandate by the university system's general administration to equalize the minimum entrance requirements at all thp cvcfprn 'C cphnnlc will moon o Hoolino ;?-> W7CC1 I .-r.il .XV -J JVMVVIJ " III llivatl U U^VIIIIV 111 TV J JU till VJ I I ~ ment. Chancellor Douglas Covington told the 13-member board of trustees at the spring board meeting a week ago that "the university faces a^ tremendous challenge in this area." The policy, scheduled to go into effect in the fall semester of 1988, will mean that in order to get into any of the UNC schools, a potential student would need to have completed four units of college preparatory English; three units of mathematics, including geometry and Algebra 1 &nd II; two units in social science, including one in government and economics and a course in U.S. "Enrollment may decrease, but it may increase the quality level of students. " \ ? Haywood Wilson hi&toeyt three m science, including...life...or. ~ biological science, physical science ancTmabOratory course. The new policy also strongly advises at least two units in one foreign language, and that a foreign language and a math course be taken in the 12th grade. Haywood wuson, vice chancellor for student affairs, said, "It's still early in the game. For most things there is a positive and negative way of looking at them, and this one is no exception. Enrollment may decrease but it may increase the quality level of students. This may eliminate the volume of remedial work (50 percent of the students require some form of remedial assistance at WSSU)." Wilson said the matter will be discussed internally for the next couple of months and plans drawn up to accommodate the changes. The most drastic changes in WSSU admission requirments will be an increase in the number of SAVING BABIES... | Recording star Evelyn King: "There is no greater joy than have a beautiful ^^B^^^B baby But not all babies are so fortunate ? 250,000 infants are f' born with physical or mental birth defects each year. The March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation works to save babies * wtTtk. ' *? 54 4 ing to protest firii \ 9V VI HBMfl WL H_ ^ B^B /V^B ^k For the past eight weeks, 11 former employess company for what the call the "unjust" firings Hairston is the former president of the local NAACP "The union told us to wait for arbitration to determini if the firing was justified," said Clowney. "Arbitratioi could take three to four months and somebody said i could be six months." Raymond Jennings, the union district manager it Greensboro, said he is in the process of taking the cas< through arbitration for the employees. "We have alread; gone through the grievance procedure," he said, "ant n/N??? ? - -4 ' - I ? * - J J- - ii^vy wt ait waning iui an impartial party to ueciae. i na should take 30 to 60 days." Jennings said that because the workers were not advis ed by the union to picket the company, the union has n< obligation to provide any^financial assistance to tHi workers. "We can't do anything until arbitration," Jenning: said. "The union says the disciplinary action was toe severe. The company contends that the workers are ir violation of an agreement and the workers who left had i promise of going home early from a smaller boss. We wil continue through the procedure. They deserve the right tc a hearing and this is what they are being given." Said Cynthia Pearson, who had worked at the com pany for four years, "If I had known that 1 was payim standards le for WSSU mathematics and science units. The school presently re quires only one unit in math and one in science. The re quirement will increase to three. Because North Carolina is also changing the numbei and the types of units needed for high school graduation Covington said the changeover should not present am problems. But because the university's state funding is determin ed by the number of students, Covington said ''this coulc have great implications for the university in terms ol enrollment figures and budget." Board member Aurelia G. Eller said the change woulc be good for the university. "It's really what we have been wanting to do," Eliei said. "I think it's grand that now we are forced to do it.' In other business, the board heard a report from Fannie Williams on the status ol the search committees to fill the vice chancellor ol academics affairs and business affairs positions, whicf are vacant. In addition, searches are being made to fil vnw vacancies iui cnciiimen oi me aeparments ol business, physical education and social science, directoi of institutional research and alumni affairs. heard a report from the Convocations Committee Maya Angelou will be the May 20 graduation speaker anc honorary degrees will be conferred upon Dr. Ralpf " Scales and Gordon Hanes. yy nuw^i Br serving^) RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW IN WINSTON-SALEM LIBERTY LINCOLN ^ Bonus by "Babs" Johnson only f ' \ Mi igs by firm p ^ 1 L j /j^n I n^bBv sVflH H m khB^^I J B j j ty f -; | -i, ; B * vB Hp ^^^^^^JJPJJBfP of National Linen Service have been picketing the (photo by James Parker)r $9.50 per month union dues, and when you need them z you can't get any support, I would have never joined the t union." t Pearson and Clowney also said their shop steward, Brooks, who is the union's representative at the comi pany, has not shown them any support, e "After we were fired, she brought one of her friends y out here to take our jobs and they hired her," Clowney i said. "That shows how much she has done for us. It t seems like the company has brought the union." Bespite the loss of their jobs and what they call a lack of support from their union, Clowney and Pearson said d they plan to continue their fight to be reinstated, e "We are gonna~TTgHt"no" matter how lone it take* " _ - w * Clowney said. "I could see if we had walked out if it was s raining. But a big company like Reynolds closed down ) that day and they are 12 times bigger than they (National i Linen Service) are ...." \ Said Pearson: "We have walked in rain. We are not 1 gonna give up. People come along Stratford Road and ) tell us that we have their support. That keeps us going." In addition, some of the employees at National Linen Service spend their breaks and lunch hours walking the I picket line with the picketing employees. r?1 BUILDING ON L. J YOUR ROOTS r - - -- - - - - ? I ^^JaiiJAiiJiifcJi ~ i i. An Oratorical Contest op f i: who have not reached the i i ducted by the Winston-Salei % will be awarded to the first ]: runner-up winners. In additic r | of the contest will be eligibl [ 5 with top prize of a $1,000 S( I i The offical Oratorical Coi r -j ty, Involvement." Contestan ficial subject for not less th 3 mnrp n mini ifoc Qrn j- v i v_> v ? rvt i i ??vv^ l l l I IV/ J . w/V/ V> i ? ?___jquaIities, material organjzal 3 tation, and overall effective ? n j, For information concernir \ James Moon | Ed Swicegoo ~ (Evenings I ^ (m0PT,M,ST Mail To: 4585 Emily D : LEtt INTERNATIONAL ? Kernersville, - ntfll ORATORICAL 2 innj) CONTEST tm] Nam* ^ Address *"< Cltv C(?t?/o??u I^_ , kjiwimr ? m^W K Date of Birth: Day Month K During this yaar (198344) hava you participated in any othar Optimist Club's < C Qantlaman: H I wish to antar tha Optimist Club Oratorical Contact to racalva training and < Lj contest and l shall ba bound by all of tha requirements of such rulas. H Contestant's Signature rv Parent orpuardlan Permission: K I hereby give my permission tor my (son) (daughter) (ward) to participate in K Signed Rah * , 1 V DON'T FIGHT CITY VOTE BECOME ITS} TALL REGISTER & LANDLORD Are You Missing Important Calls? That costs you MONEY! For Your Individual And Corporate Needs, Betty's Answering Service Has The Solution. It Allows You The where! Betty's 'jSS Service Keeps^H H % BETTY'S ANSWERING SERVICE 1250 N. Liberty Street 724-7420 >en to all boys and girls ? age of 16 is being con- h m Optimist Club. Awards | place, second place and | )n, the first place winners | e for further competition | :holarship. - 1 itest is "My Responsibilitc mi icf cnaal r\n + l~n=k r\t- U t J I I IU Jl J p V, U l\ V/l I L II W I > J lan four minutes and not |E ring is based on personal E don, delivery pnd presen ? ness. " |E lg the contest, contact: z 1 H e 784-6648 i d 766-9595 | 3lease) Z ???????? p Ir % ? ki r otooa ~ .,.o. i.io- ENTRY FORM ? I ^ ' L. i - ^ Phone 'r ^ Ince Zip m Year S?* " yratorlc^l contest? Yes No r E sxperience in public speaking and oratory I will study the rules of the "r " - ? ? ? o?n RETURN TO SPONSORING ? _ OPTIMIST CLUB-NOT r * con"" OPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL ? itlonahlp ^ T , . J > r'
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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March 8, 1984, edition 1
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