MONDAY, MAY 3, 1999

CSU faculty unite protest Reed

By David Sommers

State Hornet

CSU Sacramento

SACRAMENTO - More than 200 picketers crashed the opening ceremonies of the seventh annual LINKS conference in Sacramento Thursday to protest the appearance of California State University Chancellor Charles Reed at the four-day event.

Faculty members from more than half a dozen CSU campuses joined together with members of the California State Employees Association and the Service Employee International Union in protest.

The picketers carried signs reading "No More Merit Pay" and "Charles Reed Has Got To Go," during three hours of protests outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel, host of the conference.

A variety of topics were scheduled for debate at the conference, which brings together elected officials, policy specialists and campus administrators to discuss the strengthening of ties between state government and public universities.

"The reason why we are out here tonight is due to the fact that Charles Reed has not done a sufficient job at strengthening the ties between the campuses and their faculties," said Susan Meisenhelder, newly-elected California Faculty Association president.

The picketers were also protesting the contract that was imposed by the CSU Board of Trustees and Chancellor Reed on March 17. The CFA has declared a state of strike between professors and Reed since the contract was imposed.

Faculty from several northern California campuses, including CSU Chico, Humboldt State, CSU Sacramento and San Francisco State, were joined by faculty from as far south as CSU Fresno and CSU San Bernardino.

"We plan to keep rolling right over Chancellor Reed," Meisenhelder said. "We intend to accomplish that by having more events of this magnitude in the near future in the hopes of raising awareness of the crisis in the CSU system."