Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1960 [PAGE 60]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1958]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

57

reported that no company has been found that is interested in developing the invention. T h e inventor has requested that this invention be released to him. The United States A r m y Signal Patent agency representing the United States Government, which had sponsored the project on which the invention was developed, has agreed to this release, providing that the Government be granted a royaltyfree license to the use of any patent that is issued. T h e Patent Committee approves such an arrangement and recommends that all rights of the University in this invention be released to the inventor, with the stipulation that the United States Government and the University of Illinois be granted royalty-free licenses to use any patent that may be issued in connection therewith. I concur in these recommendations. President Livingston reported that the Executive Committee had p r e v i o u s l y c o n s i d e r e d t h e s e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s a n d c o n c u r s in t h e m . O n m o t i o n of M r s . W a t k i n s , these r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s w e r e a p p r o v e d by the Board. SETTLEMENT O F THE SUIT OF CHARLES GOREY (33) Recently Mr. Charles Gorey, an electrician in the employ of the University of Illinois at the Chicago Professional Colleges, instituted a mandamus proceeding in the Circuit Court of Cook County to recover salary and other benefits which he lost as the result of being placed on involuntary disability leave from J a n u a r y 2 through April 5, 1957. Mr. Gorey was first employed by the University in 1941 and between that year and 1944 worked for it from time to time. Since October 24, 1944, to the present time, Mr. Gorey has been employed as a full-time electrician. F o r some time prior to November, 1953, Mr. Gorey suffered from a physical condition, diagnosed as a hypersensitive carotid sinus, which rendered it dangerous for Mr. Gorey to do work (such as changing overhead lamps) which would necessitate extending his arms over his head, especially if he would be working on a ladder. While his condition was known to the Health Service at the Chicago Professional Colleges Campus and i o the Supervisor of Building Craftsmen, it did not come to the attention of the Assistant Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds or that of the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds until the fall of 1953. At that time a report from the Health Service was presented to them and, upon recommendation from the Office of Nonacademic Personnel, Mr. Gorey was placed on leave of absence for disability. However, the Health Service immediately advised that he could do all types of work if he kept his collar open to eliminate any pressure on his neck and, consequently, he was returned to work. On November 11, 1956, the Health Service issued an additional report to Mr. Gorey that he should not do certain portions of the work usually done by electricians, and Air. Gorey declined to do "lamping" since it would require him to be on a ladder and work with his hands above his head. T h e report from the Health Service that Mr. Gorey should not do all work requiring the raising of his arms above the head was confirmed in December, 1956. On the basis of this advice, and with the concurrence of the Office of Nonacademic Personnel, Mr. Gorey was placed on disability effective J a n u a r y 2, 1957, but because of accumulated sick leave and vacation, he received full pay for the period January 2 to January 29, 1957. While Mr. Gorey apparently acquiesced in this action by voicing no objection before the end of January, 1957, it developed that he was objecting to or questioning it and was supported in his position by his union. F u r t h e r negotiations and investigations took place and he was restored to active duty on April 8, 1957, but because of his physical condition instructions were issued that he should not be required to do work which the Health Service physicians considered would be dangerous and inadvisable for him to attempt. As a result of the foregoing and the involuntary disability leave upon which he was placed, Mr. Gorey did no work from January 2 through April 5, 1957, although he was paid the same amount he would have earned in January of that year if he would have been working then by allowing him fifteen days of wages to sick leave and five working days of vacation time which he had earned