INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 128, No. 108
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012
Bus Drivers Reach Deal With TCAT Management
!
ITHACA, NEW YORK
16 Pages – Free
Jazz hands
By REBECCA HARRIS Sun News Editor
and UTSAV RAI
Sun Staff Writer
After more than six months of heated negotiations between bus drivers and management over the terms of a new contract, TCAT employees approved the final version of the contract on Friday. Workers’ acceptance of the agreement comes after they rejected two separate proposals put forth by TCAT management and the drivers’ union, United Auto Workers Local 2300, in September and November. On Nov. 10, about one third of TCAT drivers called in sick, citing discontent over negotiations and disrupting service on at least 11 rural routes. TCAT bus operators and maintenance workers voted 48 to 16 on Friday to ratify the two-and-a-half-year contract, which will replace the three-year contract that expired on Sept. 11, according to Patty Poist, communications marketing and “TCAT ... worked diligently to manager for TCAT. raise wages and improve overall The contract — which will expire working conditions.” June 30, 2014 — Joe Turcotte calls for a $500 bonus payable in 2012, a $525 bonus in 2013 and a 1.25-percent wage increase in 2014, according to a TCAT press release. Joe Turcotte, TCAT’s general manager, attributed the 25 percent of drivers who said they were still unsatisfied with the contract terms to an inability to “adequately communicate” that TCAT is facing budgetary constraints. “TCAT over the past several years — in better economic times — worked diligently to raise wages and improve overall working conditions for union represented employees,” Turcotte said in an email Monday. “Times are tougher now.” TCAT, which operated under more than a $300,000 deficit at the end See TCAT page 5
News Pursuit of Happiness
Prof. Shimon Edelman, psychology, speaks about his book, which examines happiness from the neuroscience perspective. | Page 3
Opinion Diverse Reading
Nathaniel Rosen ’12 responds to a professor’s critique of the New Student Reading Project book. | Page 7
Arts Lack of Progress
Gina Cargas ’14 condemns Lavinia Currier’s latest film Oka! for providing too much of a Western perspective. | Page 9
Sports Setting Records
Track team sophomore Montez Blair finishes ninth in the nation in the high jump. | Page 16
Weather Rainy Days HIGH: 72 LOW: 37
YINING LU / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The Gussman Jazz Combo, with Spencer Amer ’15 on trumpet and Edan Soroker ’12 on alto saxophone, perform at dinner at the Hans Bethe House Monday evening.
Muslims at C.U. Back Bloomberg By JACOB GLICK Sun Staff Writer
Despite their opposition to his strong defense of the New York Police Department surveillance program involving Muslim students, student leaders from Cornell’s Muslim community expressed measured support for the selection of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg as this year’s Convocation speaker. Bloomberg once again plunged headfirst into the muddy waters of post-9/11 security last
month by backing an NYPD program that has tracked the emails of Muslim students and Muslim student organizations in 2006 and 2007. “The police department goes where there are allegations,” Bloomberg said in a press conference on Feb. 21. “And they look to see those allegations are true. That’s what you’d expect them to do. That’s what you’d want them to do. Remind yourself when you turn out the light tonight.” This fiery defense of police conduct ignited See MUSLIMS page 4
Former Iranian Diplomat Decries Foreign Sanctions By EMMA COURT Sun Staff Writer
The same day the United Nations and Iran sparred over the country’s human rights record, Dr. Abbas Maleki, former deputy foreign minister of Iran, spoke Monday afternoon in Goldwin Smith Hall about its foreign policy and possibilities for future economic development. Maleki spoke of an embattled Iran caught between United States forces, United Nations sanctions and an uncertain economic climate. “Iranians feel the world situation of Iran is becoming weaker every day; therefore, they must do something,” Maleki said. “That is the mentality of Iranians.” Maleki said that with the end of the Cold War and the opening of Iran’s borders, Iran has been gradually abandoning its Middle Eastern culture in favor of an Asian identity, capitalizing on an increased demand in Asia for Iranian oil and natural gas. Despite emerging economies in China, India and Russia, Maleki said that America is still the world leader in technology, and that therefore, Iran needs to forge a better relationship with the United States. Maleki suggested Iran could improve its foreign relations by trying to solve its problems with the U.S., increasing production of oil and gas and expanding its relations with Arab countries. Maleki also pointed out that the economic sanctions enacted by foreign officials most directly affect the people of Iran.
“It’s not the government of Iran which receives more negative impacts, injuries, pains; it’s the people of Iran that receive it,” Maleki said. Maleki presented a photograph of smiling, Iranian boys, which he said showed the possibilities of Iran’s future in the next generation. When an audience member questioned why Maleki chose a picture that featured only boys, Maleki countered that women are very active in Iranian society. However, audience member and Iranian
citizen, Alireza Vahid grad said in an interview that the definition of active women in Iran differs greatly from the definition in the United States. “His definition of women participating in the country is probably different from what you Americans have in mind,” Vahid said. “My society is very conservative. Women can’t participate as much. But I believe the situation is much better than in most other countries in See IRAN page 5
GINA HONG / SUN CONTRIBUTOR
Opening communication | Dr. Abbas Maleki, former deputy foreign minister of Iran, speaks to students, faculty and community members on Monday afternoon in Goldwin Smith Hall.