A group of six individuals approached Chancellor Henry T. Yang in his office yesterday afternoon to ask for his support on two issues – the Cedarwood Apartments evictions and the University of California employee pay raise approved by the California State Legislature.

Yang spoke with the group and promised to look into its requests. He also scheduled a meeting to be held in two weeks to further discuss the issues.

The group, which consisted of three UCSB Associated Students members, one UCSB Facilities Management employee, one union representative and one other student supporter, entered Yang’s office at around 3 p.m.

The group requested that Yang make an appeal to the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office in support of an injunction that would give the Cedarwood Apartments residents, who were ordered on Aug. 18 to vacate the property, located at 6626 Picasso Rd, more time.

The group also requested Yang prepare a plan to distribute the approximately $3.2 million that was recently allotted to UCSB by the state legislature to raise UC staff salaries. Yang said he is still consulting with other UC chancellors on how to distribute the money.

The group began the discussion with Yang by expressing concern over the worker’s pay increase. The 2006 California State Budget allotted three UC schools – Berkeley, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara – funds to pay for worker raises.

According to Claude Piller, an American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees union representative, the school has yet to distribute the roughly $3.2 million allocated for raises to UCSB employees.

During the meeting, the group asked Yang to make a concrete proposal and present it to the workers. Yang responded saying that he is in the process of consulting with the chancellors of the other two UCs that received the funds, and is working to develop a proposal.

“We are having lots of discussions with the other chancellors,” Yang said. “I’m going to talk to Santa Cruz and hear their proposal.”

According to Piller, the funds should soon be free for distribution, as California State Assembly Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nu

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