peg? 8
daily nebraskan
monday, January 14, 1980
. I.
Halt to university testing of Soviet tractors is proposed
By Randy Essex
Managing aditor
Passage of a legislative resolution call
tag for the NU Tractor Testing Laboratory
on East Campus to stop accepting business
from the Soviet Union would have little, if
any, effect on the Soviets, the lab's chief
engineer said. " ;
' The measure, introduced by Imperial
Sen. Rex Haberman, blames the Soviets -because
of their aggression in Afghanistan-
for costing Nebraska farmers "billions of
dollars;
Haberman said President Carter was
forced to impose economic sanctions, in
cluding the embargo of some 17 million
metric tons of grain promised to the Soviet
Union.
"I think we should stop buying Russian
vodKa, Haberman said, explaining that he
thinks a variety of "little things" can be
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done that will have an impact on the
Soviets.
Worldwide effect
He said approval of tractors by the NU
lab has Ma worldwide sales effect," because '
the NU lab is the only testing institute in
the world and tractors probably will not
sell without that approval.
The resolution, LR184, not only asks
that no more Russian tractors be tested,
but proposes that the reports on two
tractors already at the lab be withheld, so
the tractors cannot be sold. .
If passed, LR184 would direct the in
stitute to "inform the appropriate Soviet
Union officials that their tractors currently
at the laboratory must be removed in 15
days ... or they will be sold as salvage."
But Louis Leviticus, the institute's
director, said the report on one of the two
Russian tractors now at the institute al
ready has been released, and the other one
needs only final approval before it is re
leased. Release required
Furthermore, Leviticus said he is requir
ed by law to release the reports as soon as
they are approved by a three-member
board of engineers. A resolution does not
have the power to repeal laws; a bill would
be required.
He said only four Soviet tractors have
been tested at the unit since 1975,' and
only one before that.
And, I don't envision another Russian
tractor in the next couple years, he add
ed. -
"I personally don't feel the Russians
will be too badly hurt by this," he said.
'The value of the motion is that it showed
the senator's anger toward the Russians.
"Even though Nebraska is an agricultur
al state, and is hurt by the grain embargo,
this shows that the state still is in principle
behind the government," Leviticus said.
Embargo hurts
Haberman pointed out that he has been
hurt by the embargo, with 10,000 bushels
of his corn not sold and the grain market
falling. He said the embargo is "costing me
12 percent" on a loan he cannot pay until
. his corn is sold.
MI think it's a good resolution, Haber
man said. "Many little things can be done
that can have an impact.
The NU Board of Regents refused to get
involved in the political arena Saturday and
disregarded the resolution.
Regent Robert Simmons of Scottsbluff
said he was asked by a state legislator to
present a resolution concerning the Russian
tractors. However, Simmons refused to
introduce the resolution because the re7
solution was "not the subject of an
academic institution.'
The NU lab is the only consumer-orient-
ed lab in the world, Leviticus said. Europe
has some similar facilities, but they are
used mostly to allow trade, he said.
The Soviet Union paid $ 1 0,000 for tests
on the tractor already approved and
$6,000 for the tests on the other tractor.
Both machines still are at the lab.
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Appointments or walk-ins accepted.
Woods dismissal said unfair
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By Gordon Johnson
Reasons given for the firing of Girlean
t Woods, a UNL custodial department
employee, are indicative of discrimination,
according to a report issued by the State
Ombudsman's Office.
The report, issued on Dec. 3, indicates
that Woods was fired for the same things
her white co-workers also had done.
Murrel McNeil, the state ombudsman,
said the actions taken against Woods b the
university were discriminatory, but it is
hard to . determine whether or not the
motives behind the actions were discrim
inatory. Needed reasons
According to the report, Woods' super
visor, Heinz Matthiesen, and Assistant
Manager John Marker were looking for
reasons to fire her. The entire incident
could have been avoided if the two men
had not been looking for reasons to fire
her, according to the report.
"This entire matter resulted because of
poor judgment, failure to follow the per
sonnel handbook, faulty management tech
niques and suspect organizational structur
ing," the report said. -
Girlean Woods was fired as a custodial
leader, because she took too long on some
coffee breaks and allowed unauthorized
personnel to be in Oldfather Hall after clos
ing hours.
Woods took her grievance to State Sen.
Ernie Chambers of Omaha, who turned the
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matter , over to the state ombudsman.
No cooperation
However, the ombudsman's office was
unable to investigate the matter because
the university refused to cooperate in the
investigation. But after an investigation
into the matter by the UNL Affirmative
Action Liaison Committee, the university
allowed the principles in the case to be
questioned by the ombudsman. , y
The committee decided that Woods was
unfairly discharged but because the firing
was not discriminatory, she should be re
hired on probation.-
Woods refused to go back to , work
under the findings made by the committee.
To rectify the matter, the university
agreed to conditions recommended by the
ombudsman's office. Those conditions in
clude: -rehiring Woods at the same rank and
pay; ,
-placing her on the day shift;
-not placing her on probation unless
she is promoted;
-paying her for back pay from the time
she was fired;
-restoring all vacation and sick leave
time; .
-removing all materials about the in
cident from her personnel file.
The ombudsman's office also recom
mended that some organizational and
management techniques be changed in
order to avoid similar problems.
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