Moore supports unions

Before addressing a packed Law School Auditorium on the afternoon of Wed., Oct. 30, Michael Moore, director/producer of Roger and Me (1989) and creator of the 1994 Emmy Award-winning TV Nation, attempted to present a special award to Yale University President, Richard Levin.

Proceeding in an Ed McMahon fashion to the front door of the lucky winner, Moore arrived at Woodbridge Hall with a giant sized certificate of achievement for the "Corporate Crook of the Year."

Prior to attempting his presentation to Levin, Moore spoke about the contract dispute at Yale to a mixed crowd of Local 34 and 35 workers, undergraduates, GESO members, and community members.

In his typical satirical style, Moore justified President Levin's $316,000 salary on the grounds that it took a very hard working president "to figure out how to screw so many employees all at once."

Turning to more serious remarks, Moore reassured Locals 34 and 35 members that the nation was behind them in their contract negotiation struggles. He assured the union members that at each stop on his 47-city book promotion tour, the growing sentiment was that "the battle line has been drawn in New Haven, Connecticut."

Unfortunately, Moore's attempted presentation, complete with the crowd cheering "Let him in!" was met with the polite response that President Levin had stepped out for a few minutes.

As Moore stated later, he is growing accustomed to being snubbed by "the downsizing CEOs" he attempts to meet in each city of his tour. As a less inflammatory alternative to the spectacle of the presentation, Moore politely made a 10-minute appointment to talk with Levin on Friday.