The Kokomo Tribune from Kokomo, Indiana • Page 2

2 Kokomo (Ind.) Tribune Monday, August 27, 1979 Today Demo editorial writers are receptive to Bayh Final inspection LORDSTOWN, Ohio Workers put the final touches on a General Motors car, the Firenza, an Oldsmobile sports model of the old Starfire, as it nears the end of the assembly line at the Lordstown plant. The life of an Every paragraph a rule autoworker is an existence based on rules, knowing which ones can be stretched and which will mean a trip to L.R. labor relations and possible disciplinary action. (AP photo) Autoworkers live by contract Editor's note: From 1.971 to 1975, AP writer Brian Tucker worked at the General Motors assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. He recently returned to take another look at the plant that was the symbol of union militancy in the early 1970s.

By BRIAN TUCKER Associated Press writer LORDSTOWN, Ohio (AP) It's hot and sticky and two autoworkers are breaking one of the shop rules that make up the law at this and any other auto assembly plant. The two are using their precious 30-minute lunch period to escape from the ever-moving assembly ling and have a couple of in the parking Jot af the sp.rawHng General Motors Corp. complex. "I come in here every day and walk for 10 hours to keep up with that line," one man said. "Why shouldn't I be able to drink a beer at lunch?" Having the beer could mean disciplinary action even dismissal.

But neither appears concerned. The life of an autoworker is an ex- FRENCH LICK, Ind. (AP) U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh was the proven crowd pleaser at the Indiana Democratic Editorial Association convention this weekend, giving the party faithful a preview of his 1980 reelection campaiogn.

Bayh, who arrived at the conven-' tion in French Lick early Saturday afternoon, drew an overflow crowd to a champagne reception for Democratic mayoral candidates, got a standing ovation after a banquet speech and entertained Democrats well into the night with stories and a sing-along with former Secretary of State Larry A. Conrad. Most Democrats downplayed the impact of Indianapolis banker Frank McKinney's decision last week to back Republican Congressman Dan Quayle in the Senate race. State Senate Minority Leader Frank L. O'Bannon said in an informal interview that McKinney had not been active in day-to-day Democratic politics for several years, and would not draw many voters with him.

McKinney's bank, American Fletcher National Bank, also was a topic of a joke in Bayh's convention speech. Bayh said his campaign was self- ing T-shirts at $10 apiece to help raise money, but he quipped, "It is not true you get one free for each $1,000 you withdraw from the American Fletcher National Bank." And Bayh criticized a news report -he said identified veteran Republi- can businessman Fred Tucker, Quayle's finance chairman, as a Democrat. "If Fred Tucker is a Democrat, the Ayatollah Khomeini is a member of the First Baptist Church," Bayh quipped. Although Bayh pleased the crowd, several Democrats who have been active in local and congressional campaigns said during off-the-record interviews that he faces one of his toughest campaigns in 1980. The convention's preview of the 1980 race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination seemed to confirm that John A.

Hillenbrand, the business executive from Batesville, is holding on to his front-runner status. Hillenbrand's hospitality rooms were well filled during the two-day convention and many delegates sported Hillenbrand buttons or Hillenbrand carnations. But State Sen. Wayne Townsend, the only other Democratic guberna- toral hopeful, brought 'em out at his Saturday night reception. Townsend had a foot-stomping, upbeat bluegrass band for entertainment and many of those attending his reception took to the dance floor.

Party leaders, including State Chairman Don Michael and Bayh, divided their time between the two gubernatorial candidates. Supporters of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy were urging party workers to abandon President Carter and support the Massachusetts Democrat. istence based on rules, knowing which can be stretched and which will mean a trip to "L.R." labor relations and possible disciplinary action.

An autoworker lives and dies by the contract a document that expires Sept. 14 and now is being thrashed about by company and union negotiators in Detroit. Every "new hire" gets a copy of the local agreement about the size of a small paperback book and it tells him everything, from how much money he should be making to how often he can get off the line to go to the bathroom. Every paragraph is a rule. A violation by the worker can mean disciplinary action; the same by a foreman can prompt a grievance.

And there are a few paragraphs that become familiar to a new hire within days of his going on "the line." A "78" is a claim of too much work on a job; a "215" is a foreman working the line. Both are weapons used day-to-day union-management struggle. "After'we come back from changeover," says one union committee- man, "we'll be flooded with 78s because management is speeding up the line from 70 to 80 cars an hour. "They'll try to make it with as few new people as possible and we'll be trying to get as many new people hired as possible. It's the same old game." The game was a little different at Lordstown in the early 1970s when the work force was mostly young and disruptively militant.

The plant then churned out Chevrolet Vegas at the rate of more than 100 an hour and was being consolidated from a combined Fisher Body-General Motors operation to one under the General Motors Assembly Division. Assembly division officials had the reputation of a job- cutting group. The union's bargaining committee was to be cut in half in the consolidation. The "Lordstown War" was on and there were not many who did not associate the term "blue-collar sabotage" with this plant in the middle of an Ohio cornfield. "We don't need another story about how bad things are at Lordstown," said assembly division spokesman Andrew O'Keefe, who would not cooperate when asked recently to arrange an inspection of the plant.

"Things are improving down there." Despite management's reticence, things do seem to be improving. Workers no longer are breaking off keys in locks, slashing upholstery or welding wrenches inside door panels. And the change in attitudes seems related to economics, namely to the disappearance of the Vega and the production instead of other models, including the Chevrolet Monza. The Monza is selling well and workers are putting in 10-hour, shifts. And they remember the last days of the Vega, when the car plant was down to one shift and 2,000 people were laid off for nearly a year.

Another reason for changed attitudes is simply the workers' ages. "They're a little older and a little more experienced," UAW Local 1112 President Marlin Ford says of his 9,700 members. "They've gotten a little calmer and a lot of them now have a house, wife and kids." Vice president named for Burlington State Bank Kokomo banker Charles W. Cameron has been named senior vice Charles Cameron Kokomo banker If's strike, not back-to-school for some Crown Point teaphers went on strike early today, and Indianapolis Public Schools teachers voted overwhelmingly Sunday to strike unless a contract agreement is reached before the start of classes Sept. 4.

Strikes by public employees are prohibited by state law, but mem- bers'of the Indianapolis Education Association said they are prepared to stay off the job "as long as it takes" to reach a settlement. At-Crown Point, teachers voted to strike early today after an 11-hour negotiating session with the school board failed to produce a contract agreement. The Crown Point Teachers' Association represents 240 of the system's 270 teachers. Pickets were set up in front of Crown Point High School this morning. Classes were to have begun today.

At Indianapolis, negotiations between school officials and representatives of the 2,500 member IEA have been going on since March If a strike is called, it would be the first by teachers in the capital city since 1972. There are 3,800 teachers in the system, the state's largest with about 80,000 pupils. IEA officials estimated about 1,000 of the organization's members turned out for the strike vote at Butler Uuniversity. The exact figures were not made public, but IEA President Kathleen Orrison said about 85 percent cast "no contract, no work" votes authorizing union officials to call a strike. She said the board will call a strike if a pact is not reached within the eight remaining days before school opens.

Teachers will report for inservice preparation work beginning Tuesday, however, because the old contract doesn't expire until Aug. 31, she said. IPS Superintendent Karl L. Kalp said schools would remain open in the event of a strike, using administrators, supervisors and substitute teachers, if necessary. Starting pay for teachers cur- rentlyjs $9,532 with a top scale of $19,071 for teachers with 25 years experience and a masters degree.

The teachers are seeking an 11.5 percent increase. The school system is offering a 1 percent raise. Both parties have been meeting with a state-appointed mediator and are scheduled to meet again Wednesday. IPS officials, however, have asked the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board to appoint a fact finder, the next step after mediation in resolving an impasse. Indianapolis is just one of 169 school districts around the state with unresolved teacher-school board disputes.

In six other communities, the situation was described as "tense, to say the least," by Ronald G. Jensen, executive director of the Indiana State Teachers Association. Lions, tiger are midway manager's pets INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Bruno is home, and all's well with the Wayne Berra family. Missing for nine days, Bruno caught up with the Berras including playmates Sabrina and Tigger at the Indiana State Fair Saturday night. Bruno is a six-month-old 80-pound lion who leaped from a truck in Cincinnati while a friend of Berra's was taking him to Toledo, Ohio, to show his family.

Bruno was rounded up without any trouble after a youngster spotted him in a yard. The cat went to Goshen, for a checkup with Berra's vet, Dr. J. Kaiser, and then the- reunion at Indianapolis whore Berra was managing Gooding's midway. As technical director, he rides herd on 400 workers and dozens of rides.

Bruno is part of a feline menagerie started a year ago when Berra bought three-day-old Sa- Now a 200-pound lioness, Sabrina prances about the Berra mo- lor home on declawed paws, having the same run of the place as Bruno and Tigger, a six-week-old 15-pound Tiger. They also have the run of a 30-acre, fenced tract at Savannah. home for Berra and his wife, Penny, when they're not on the road with the carnival from November to April. It's nothing to see the cats romping in the yards around the motor home or Sabrina riding in a golf cart about the fairgrounds with Berra, who at 35 has spent 20 years with carnivals. Why three "big cats" as pets? For one thing, says Berra, as a youngster in Washington, D.C., he never had a pet.

So when he got on his own, there was a steady stream of unusual pets, including a chimp, orangutan, gorilla and baboon. "Of course, the gorilla didn't run around the place like the cats do he said. He became interested in the big cats when Gooding's played a circus, and Berra got to playing with the lions. When he bought Sabrina through a friend who knew of a litter, Berra was working in Goshen. She arrived there, and Berra found Dr.

Kaiser. Now, the vet takes care of all the Berra pets, even making "house calls" to Savannah when the need arises. "When 1 started, I thought I would just raise her and give her to a zoo," Berra said. "But 1 got so at- tached to Sabrina, I couldn't let her' go." "I take care of them," the 20-year-old Mrs. Berra volunteered.

"They drink milk for several months, and when their teeth are big enough, they move on to boiled chicken and special enriched animal food." While she chatted, Tigger climbed onto the couch to beg, and she offered him a baby bottle full of milk. Later, Tigger strolled to the door and uttered a soft growl. "Now he wants out," Mrs. Berra interpreted. "The cats really take care of themselves.

They're housebroken. They clean themselves. They sleep in beds with blankets and a pillow. They play with us and with each other. They don't need cages." She said the trio "are gentler than most other pets.

They don't know what killing means. They've never had raw They're not wild cats." Berra stressed he would give his cats away before he would cage them. "I built a $1,300 cage for Sabrina in Savannah, but it's now filled with old tires." Berra said he's not sure what Tig- In addition to the salary dispute at Indianapolis, unresolved issues include: involuntary transfers of teachers, class size, reimbursement for purchases of classroom materials, length of the school day and preparation time for teachers. Jensen noted that teachers in Crown Point and Tippecanoe County have authorized their negotiators and association presidents to call a strike if necessary to move bargaining toward contracts. Teachers in Munster, Pike County, Linton and East Gibson are facing similar contract problems, he said.

"School boards are making these ridiculously low salary offers, even though we all know that inflation is currently more than 11 percent over last year and, if the pace continues, will be 13 percent by the end of the year," Jensen said. "Teachers cannot be expected to settle for less than other segments of society accept. We didn't cause inflation and we certainly do not intend to be the victims of it." ger will be like as an adult, "but I hope he turns out as gentle as Sabrina." "They really think they're human," Mrs. Berra added. "As far as they know, I'm their mother." "Yeah," said Berra, "and when 1 asked Dr.

Kaiser when we could expect Sabrina to start roaring, he said she's start talking before she roared." Elevator wedding DALLAS (AP) Juliet Jayrit and Jerry Keeth got married during a one-minute ride in an elevator "Well, we've been going together for three years," she said. "And during that time we kept setting wedding dates and breaking them That how our relationship was up and down, up and down. "When we set the date the last time, I wanted something special A friend joked that the way our relationship had been going, we ought to 1 get married on an elevator. l' thought why not?" The ceremony was presided over by Church of Christ minister Fayne Bass. president of The Burlington State Bank.

Cameron, who recently resigned as executive vice president and director of First National Bank here, will assume his new duties effective Aug. 28, according to Donald E. Mohler, president of the Burlington bank. "We are pleased to have a man with the experience Charlie Cameron brings to our bank. His knowledge of this area and his banking expertise are well-known.

I and the board of directors are pleased to have him join our bank," Mohler said. Cameron, who resides with his wife and daughter at 109 Breezy Lane, has been in banking for 29 years. His most recent duties at First National Bank Included supervision of all loan functions, personnel, public relations and business development. Previously, he served as senior vice president, a commercial loan officer, real estate mortgage loan department manager and in other positions. A graduate of Clay Township, now Northwestern High School, Cameron received a degree in business administration from Butler University in Indianapolis in 1948.

He is a 1971 graduate bf Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. He served in the Air Force in World War II He has been highly active in community affairs. He is a 1979 team captain, corporate gifts division of the United Way of Howard County. He is a past director of the Kokomo-Howard County Chamber of Commerce and a former chairman of the downtown improvement, tax study and membership committees of that organization. A member of the First Presbyterian Church, he is a past president of the church's board of trustees and a past clerk of session.

He is a past president of the Kokomo Lions Club. He has been active in numerous fund drives, including those for Howard Community Hospital, YMCA and YWCA. Goldsmith festival opens Thursday Goldsmith's 95th annual Old Settler's Days will be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with the official opening at 6:45 p.m. Thursday. There will be country and western music, a carnival, food stands, displays, and bicycle and Big Wheel Friday's program will begin at 7 P- and will include John Gunther, the singing sheriff of Mad- ison County, and the wonderful world of magic featuring Brian Reiths and Ted Williams.

A church service at 1 p.m. will begin Saturday's events. A princess contest will be conducted at 2 p.m Other events Saturday will be bicycle races at 2:30 p.m., Big Wheel races at 4:30 p.m., and musical events starting at 7 p.m Indian Heights group to discuss annexation into city of Kokomo The Indian Heights Community Association will meet at 7:30 Tuesday in the Indian Heights School to discuss the possible annexation of the area into the city of Kokomo. An annexation plan proposing the future incorporation of Indian Heights into the city was submitted two weeks ago to the Kokomo Plan Commission. That plan and two other annexation studies will be considered by the city's plan commission in October.

The neighborhood association meeting will discuss the annexation possibilities and solicit opinions from residents. Also on the agenda is a report on the ambulance drive..