2018-09-07

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ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Friday, September 7, 2018

Ann Arbor, Michigan

michigandaily.com

HOSPITAL

U-M nurses’ union to vote on potential work strike As bargaining continues, nurses want hospital to ensure safe staffing levels MAYA GOLDMAN Daily News Editor

CAT MYKOLAJTCHUK/Daily

Students, faculty and staff attend the LGBTQ Inclusion in Research Symposium in Rackham Auditorium Thursday.

Symposium highlights LGBTQ inclusion, mentorship in research Audience members felt event lacked ethnic and racial diversity, grad student involvement LEAH GRAHAM Daily Staff Reporter

A group of about 60 faculty, staff members and students attended a day-long symposium Thursday on LGBTQ inclusion in research at Rackham Graduate School. Speakers discussed the range of LGBTQ scholarship and research at the University of Michigan, though some attendants criticized a lack of diversity in programming. Rob Stephenson, director of the Center for Sexuality and Health

Disparities and a department chair in the School of Nursing, spoke about how his identity intersected with his research. “Do I only have to do LGBT health or HIV (research) because I’m a gay man?” Stephenson said. “Is that all I’m allowed to do? No, that’s ridiculous. I’m a researcher, and I learn from my work with communities ... your identity doesn’t determine what type of research you’re doing. It should not preclude you from doing any research. You know, we have many cisgender heterosexual faculty at

the center who work on research on gay couples. People will say, ‘Well, what do they know?’ They have fundamental skills in research, and they work with communities.” Stephenson said leading by example was essential to mentoring younger researchers. He emphasized the importance of being an advocate and using his research to make a positive impact. “I think we have an ethical responsibility as scientists to mentor the next generation, and I think it’s doubly impactful

when you’re a sexual minority scientist to provide leadership and mentoring to other people,” he said. Gesturing around the room, Stephenson added, “This right here is a huge mentorship opportunity.” Daniel Shumer and Ellen Selkie, who founded the Child and Adolescent Gender Services Clinic at Mott Children’s Hospital, spoke at the symposium about their work with transgender youth. The clinic, which started about three years ago, provides See LGBTQ, Page 3A

The University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council will begin voting on a possible work stoppage next week. The union, which represents nurses at Michigan Medicine, has been bargaining with hospital administrators since January. Their previous contract expired June 30 and a new agreement still has not been reached. UMPNC is currently pursuing unfair labor practice charges against the University on the grounds that Michigan Medicine has broken a written commitment to maintain current nurse staffing levels. UMPNC has said securing fair staffing levels is one of their biggest priorities for the new contract. Thousands of nurses and their allies attended a rally held by UMPNC in July to advocate for safer staffing and a better contract. UMPNC representatives were not available to comment before

the time of publication, but Sara Wallenfang, associate executive director for professional and member relations at the Michigan Nurses Association, confirmed the union decided to hold a vote on the potential stoppage. At the July meeting of the University’s Board of Regents, UMPNC vice chair Donna Carnahan emphasized the union’s desire to care for and protect patients above all else. “We provide world-class nursing care,” Carnahan told the Regents. “The UMPNC’s bargaining concern is about patients and the care they receive… I no longer feel I can trust my lifelong employer. I fear the University is now prioritizing profits over patient safety.” Michigan Medicine said in a statement Thursday many priority negotiation issues have already been solved through bargaining. They feel progress has been made in contract negotiations, and they strongly oppose a work stoppage. See NURSES, Page 3A

Multicultural student orgs welcome In Review: State gov’t ‘U’ votes to new students with community events could raise

ADMINISTRATION

hike tuition in 2019-20 Regents also may move investment decisions to private funds committee MATT HARMON Daily News Editor

While you were away this summer, you may have missed some big stories from Ann Arbor. The Daily will be publishing recaps of the summer’s breaking news. This past summer, the University of Michigan Board of Regents weighed decisions involving student fees, tuition rates, investment approval protocol and more. In addition, a federal judge ruled the University’s Bias Response Team was not in violation of the First Amendment. Read more about the decisions below: University increases tuition, room and board rates At the June Board of Regents See REVIEW, Page 2A

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GOVERNMENT

Events emphasize belonging, offer support for incoming minority freshmen CATHERINE NOUHAN Daily Staff Reporter

On a predominantly white campus, University of Michigan’s multicultural student organizations often play an critical role in creating communities for minority students. This year, multiple student organizations made strides to create a more inclusive Welcome Week for their new peers. Students groups such as Black Student Union, the African Student Association, the Caribbean Student Association, Arab Student Association and Assisting Latin@s to Maximize Achievement all held events during this year’s Welcome Week to welcome students back to campus. The Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs assisted in a number of events as well. While this year’s enrollment report has yet to be released, underrepresented minorities make up 12.8 percent of the undergraduate student body,

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according to last fall’s figures. Students participate in events for Black Welcome Week on the Diag Monday. Buy this photo Sarah Kunkel/Daily

The second annual Umoja Festival was one of the many events organized by the Black Welcome Week committee this year. “Umoja” is a Swahili word for unity, and the BSU, African Student Association

and the Caribbean Student Association all planned the event. The festival, held on the Diag at the end of last week, served as a way to connect the incoming freshmen with each See MULTICULTURAL, Page 3A

minimum wage to $12

Adoption by lawmakers could allow amendments without voter input in Nov. CARLY RYAN

Daily News Editor

SARAH KUNKEL/Daily

Students participate in events for Black Welcome Week on the Diag Monday.

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INDEX

Vol. CXXVII, No. 130 ©2018 The Michigan Daily

The Michigan legislature voted today to adopt a measure that would raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour, eliminate the tipped minimum wage and allow workers one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. The Michigan Senate voted to adopt the proposal Wednesday and the Michigan House followed suit Thursday. The decision to adopt means the issues will no longer have the chance to appear on the Nov. ballot, leaving some Michigan residents worried the Republican-led legislature only adopted the proposal to amend it. Democratic representatives, who are generally in favor of the policies, wanted the proposals See NOVEMBER, Page 3A

NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6

SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................1B


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