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daily ifl(bj7&k&ffi
fiidy.november 18, 1977 vol. 101 no. 44 lincoln, nebraska
earings continue on petition charging harassment
By John Ortmann
Hats figured prominently in testimony
at a State Court of Industrial Relations
hiring Thursday.
Tlje hearing is to decide on a petition
charging harassment and discrimination of
union members by the UNL Campus Police
administration. The petition was filed in
tshalf of Local 567 of the International
Trotherhood of Police Officers, which
hopes to become the bargaining agent for
Campus Police employees.
The hearing concerns the proposed re
classification of two women police officers
zi civilian clerks.
Officer Barbara McGill, who is pregnant,
sn-J officer Mary Fleming, who injured her
knee off-duty, testified earlier that the re
classification is meant to prevent them
from voting in union elections.
Campus Police officials maintain the
move is meant to provide the women with
work until they can return to patrol duty.
Officer Joy Citta, local president, testi
fied .Thursday she, along with three other
women officers, were issued a "feminine"
hat to replace the standard "cowboy" style
also worn by male officers.
Citta said the hat was too large, making
her appear ridiculous.
' Campus Police Director Gail Gade then
forced her to wear the hat to "get back" at
her for her union activities, she said.
Under cross-examination, Citta
admitted she had refused to notify the de
partment of her proper hat size and made
no attempt to learn what it was. She also
said she had torn the hat-size label from her
old hat, which was also too large, prevent
ing its use as a reference point.
John Duve, UNL traffic and parking co
ordinator, denied in earlier testimony that
he told Fleming he would lose his job if he
told the truth at the hearing. Fleming has
stated outside of testimony that this
conversation took place, according to
union attorney J. Murry Shaeffer.
Duve also testified that .although
Fleming's duties while she was assigned in
doors after her injury did not coincide
exactly with those of his usual assistant,
they could be described as police duties.
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The officers duties while assigned
indoors is at issue because the women con
tend there is a great deal of police work to
be done by non-patrol officers and reclass
ification therefore is unnecessary.
The women testified they feared they
would not be rehired as. police officers
after their medical conditions returned to
normal.
However, Duve testified that it would
be in the department's interest to hire
them because of the investment they represent.
The heanng continues today at 9:30
a.m. in Supreme Court Hearing Room two
in the State Capitol.
Globetrotting Haitian diplomat
here to promote cultural exchanges
Photo by Mark Billinesley
Carl Mcvs, Haitian director of international affairs
inside fridatj
How low can you go?: Those lacking in tar and
nicotine seem to be the best sellers at
UNL p.3
violins on TV: Even Emily is shocked at what
the tube has on these days. p.5
Lincoln's fincst-the best show in town: Lincoln's
cops get more reviews than the theatres . . . p.7
By Joe Starita
At 32, Carl Mevs is a veteran of the diplomatic
corridors which link his native Caribbean Island of Haiti
to foreign capitals around the world.
Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, educated in Haiti,
France and Portugal, Mevs can draw upon six languages
to aid his role as Haiti's director of international affairs.
He currently is midway through an eight-city 30-day
visit to the United States sponsored by the U.S. State
Department.
1 One of those scheduled stops is Lincoln, where Mevs
spent three days this week shuttling between visits with
State Treasurer Frank Marsh and City Councilman John
Robinson, UNL French classes and the JNtf College of
Law, "
A globetrotter, Mevs went to Luxembourg in 1973 for
a seminar on the Parliament of Europe, to Brazil in 1976
for a conference on international law and sandwiched
tourist treks through England, Spain and Italy between
business.
Since becoming the liaison between Haiti's government
and her foreign embassies and consulates in September
1976, Mevs has been to New York to attend last summer's
UN, session on Sea Law and for September's opening
session of the UN. General Assembly.
Bundled inside a navy blue trench coat, Mevs took time
out Wednesday to discuss the purpose of his visit to
lincoln and to offer some insights into how U.S. foreign
policy is perceived in the Third World (Asia, Africa
and South America),
"I am here to obtain a better understanding of
American culture and civilization " said Mevs, "that could
result in cultural and educational exchanges between Haiti
and America."
One exchange Mevs said he would like to see involves
sending Haitian students to UNL to study agriculture.
Mevs said his visit with State Treasurer Marsh had been
"very productive," adding that the doors "may be opened
to allow students from Haiti to come to Nebraska and
learn about new agricultural techniques."
"Poverty and underdevelopment plague all Third World
countries, Haiti included," Mevs said, "Much has been
accomplished through hard work in recent years, and
perhaps through exchanges like these we can break the
chains underdevelopment has imposed on us,"
Another problem plaguing Third World countries,
Mevs said, is a lack of solidarity which leaves countries
vulnerable to foreign exploitation,
"When oil is discovered in an underdeveloped country
it always attracts the desires of foreign powers," Mevs
explained. VWe (Third World countries) must be vigilant
in seeing that the extraction is valuable to us."
Mevs said the Third World countries must band
together-regardless of their political and economic
differences-to achieve the solidarity that is needed to
"help our own people."
Mevs added that cooperation between developed and
underdeveloped countries is vital to international political
and economic health.
"The countries which give aid must make the effort
here," he said.
.. Mevs said the Peace Corps is an example of not inspir
ing confidence.
"It is a fairly widespread belief among Third World
. countries that the Peace Corps is a front for the CIA
(Central Intelligence Agency)," he said.
In addition, Mevs said Third World countries do not
nationalize foreign industries fox fear of reprisal.
He said the Dominican Republic threatened to do this
in 1963,. and there were 20,000 Marines outside Santo
Domingo within 24 hours,
Mevs labeled Haiti's relations with the US, as
"excellent," adding that his country has no diplomatic
relations with Cuba.
"All countries of the Caribbean are sovereign states
which choose their own form of government," he said.
"I think Cuba will finally understand not to interfere in
the affairs of other states,"
The form of government Haiti has chose, Mevs said,
is a republic whose constitution was ratified by the people
giving the president the right to rule for life,
Haiti's 5 million people are benefiting from 20 years of
stable government under its ninth "president for life,"
Jean-Claude Duvalier'Jr., Mevs said.
Class warfare, which rampaged for more than 300 years
in Haiti, was abolished by Duvalier Sr., he said, adding
that the government is making efforts to provide a free
press with equal rights for all citizens,
Reconciling the differences between Haiti's blacks,
whites and mulattos has allowed the government to
function more smoothly in providing equal rights, he said,
Mevs said he has noted enormous differences between
American cities on his current visit.
"I had been to America six or seven times before, but
it was always to New York," he said. "So far I've been to
Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C, and Lincoln,
"Life in these cities seems to be calmer, more peaceful
with the people friendlier towards foreigners. This makes
me think New York is not a typically American city."
One difference Mevs said he has noticed between
lincoln and I Iaiti is the weather.
"This is the coldest I've been in two years, but it's
not disagreeable. It feels good, In Haiti, even in the ,
coldest months, you never need a sweater.
ask force is milted hy
Dy Mike Patten
ASUN's task force on student govern
nt has charged the ASUN senate with
king seriousness in dealing with the task
i ce's recent proposal and has threatened
uit.
Ta!k Force Chairman Steve Pederson
Jnesday night told the senate its actions
2 left the task force frustrated and de-
'If the group that creates you doesn't
you seriously," he said, "what's the
in having that group?
"A lot of the members of the task force
been asking themselves, 'why are we
spending our Sunday nights for this?'"
"We're not quitters. We either want a
new charge from ASUN or we want to con
tinue on with the full support of ASUN, I
certainly hope that ASUN will take us
seriously, good or bad."
Two weeks ago the task force had a
hearing on its proposal to expand the stu
dent covernmcnt from 35 senators to 76,
ASUN second vice president Ken Christof
fersen testified at the hearing that the task
force had not followed the instructions
written in the senate act creating the task
force.
"We have followed this chart," Peder
son said about the charges. "That's why it
cam? as a real shock to us when Ken told
us to start over. We' never got any input
from ASUN."
Sen. MaryFejfar said she felt ASUN
has supported the task force all along.
We back you," she said. "My gosh,
we created you. I think a lot of us were
purposely staying away from your
meetings so that ASUN wouldn't be in
fluencing you. We're not supposed to be
providing you with proposals.
ASUN President Greg Johnson said lie
wanted to know how the task force came
up with its proposal before he would en
dorse it.
"You really didn't give us your rationale
for these charges," he said, "We're not,
going to endorse this just because we
created you."
Pederson explained that the proposal is
an attempt to make student government
more accountable.
"We took the eight basic things that stu
dents want and put them under one
"government and everybody is account
able to everybody," he said. "With the
system you've got now, there isn't any
thing for them (senators) to do and no
body is accountable to anybody."
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