Two scoreboards are being built and installed by Daktronics, the world's leading manufacturer of scoreboards and displays.

Video board installation underway

Installation has begun on Central Michigan University's new state-of-the-art video scoreboard systems for both Kelly/Shorts Stadium and Rose Arena. The $2.1 million project was made possible by sponsorships from 11 corporations, with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort serving as founding partners.

"We are grateful for the continued support of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, and fortunate to have such special relationships with all our partners," said CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke.

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe contributed $1 million toward the project. Other sponsors include: Central Michigan Community Hospital, Meijer, CMU Bookstore, Greenstone Farm Credit Services, Pepsi, NuUnion Credit Union, Swaffer's Automotive Group, Lansing Capital City Airport and CMU Alumni Assocation.

"The video displays will exponentially enhance our game day atmosphere and create a whole new level of entertainment for our fans in both Kelly/Shorts Stadium and Rose Arena," said CMU Associate Athletics Director Nick Williams. "Our fans will now be able to view replays, promotions and really have an active role in the scope of the game. CMU athletic events just became a lot more fun and interactive for fans."

Periodic photo updates will be posted on cmuchippewas.com as the project continues over the summer.
Official website of CMU Athletics, June 20th, 2007

Casino deal is a blow to labor

As lawmakers voted to allow four of California's richest casino tribes to add up to 17,000 slot machines, the vote was a humbling defeat for organized labor.

Before the final vote, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez declared that he had extracted verbal promises that unions could organize workers on tribal lands. But securing last-minute statements, which have no force of law, was merely a face-saving gesture for many Democratic lawmakers long allied with labor.

Unions have long been a muscular power player in the Democrat-controlled Legislature. But this time, labor's intense campaign to force union-friendly provisions on the tribes lost mightily in the face of tribes soaring political influence and financial clout.

For people who are union activists, the tribes won in an overwhelming defeat.

The compacts were approved after tribes steadfastly refused to accept union demands that gambling agreements allow them to organize casino workers. But powerful Southern California tribes wouldn't budge, declaring such labor concessions were an unacceptable violation of tribal sovereignty. They argued gambling compact *TLRO's provided ample worker protections.

Earlier, Jack Gribbon, political director for the hotel casino and hospitality workers union, UNITE HERE, came before a Senate subcommittee. Railing about the unions defeat, he told lawmakers to stop claiming they had won victories for workers.
By Peter Hecht, Sacramento Bee, June 29th, 2007

*Tribes with 250 or more persons employed in Class III casinos or related activities are required to adopt a tribal labor relations ordinance (TLRO), as specified in compacts.

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