"Right now we're just doing strike line assessments," said HSTA executive director Joan Husted. "It's very, very, very strong. I suspect the governor's people are doing exactly the same thing: taking assessments, taking a look at how strong this is. And that's probably going to have to go on for at least a couple of days."

The strike closed the state's public schools for some 183,000 students.

With talks stalled, thousands of Hawai'i teachers and professors are settling into the slow march across school entrances.

The union reported that 118 teachers or fewer than 1 percent crossed picket lines this morning.

Many schools have 100 percent of their teachers on the picket line, Husted said, although some senior teachers have crossed the line in the Honolulu district.

"Some of our senior teachers were given misinformation about the impact of the strike on their retirements and ... we're seeing if we can get that all straightened out," Husted said.

The union already is predicting the Department of Education will not have enough staff to reopen schools Monday if the strike continues.

The department will publish the status of each school by 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

UHPA also is reporting a strong turn out on its picket lines.

"I don't know what the numbers are, but they're crowding every line around Manoa, and the community colleges are just tight," Musto said.

Tensions mount at UH

In an early sign of the tension that can spring up around picket lines, a striker at UH-Hilo was bumped by a taxi pushing its way through the line this morning, Musto said.

Emotions ran hot at the corner of University Avenue and Dole Street as well when University of Hawai'i students were greeted with angry shouts from some faculty members on the picket line.

"Scabs can't teach you anything!" one faculty member yelled at students getting off a bus to attend classes. "Scabs teach you to be traitors!"

None of the students who got off the buses turned around. Some who listened to music on headsets didn't even hear the shouts of "Go home! Ride your skateboards home!"

Many of the students who did hear the shouts said they felt uncomfortable. They said they sympathize with their unionized professors, but feel caught in the middle of the labor dispute.

"I'm coming to classes because my classes are taught by a (teachers' assistant) who's not in the union," said Pat Le, a junior studying computer science. "If they don't teach, they don't get paid. If they teach, we have to come. If we don't do our assignments, then we pay the consequences."

Roger Ames, a professor of Chinese philosophy, was in charge of the dozen pickets at University and Dole this morning and apologized for those who yelled at students. "People are excited," Ames said. "I'll get them to stop using that language."

Rouel Velasco, a freshman studying secondary education. said he didn't like being shouted at by the striking faculty. "If they're going to attack me, I'm going to get their names and report them," Velasco said.

"My teacher has to be (in class) because he has to," he said.

Other students joined the picketing professors, trying to persuade others from going to class.

Manoa strikers carried a 16-foot puppet skeleton around the campus. Its black cap and gown bore the words "Public Education" and it carried a baby in one hand with "Hawai'i's future" written on its diaper.

Associate professor of art Debra Drexler spent two nights making the giant puppet. She said she is striking to stop the university's decline.

"It's a sad day in the history of Hawai'i that all public education has come to a halt," Drexler said.

Hirono joins UH picket line

Breaking ranks with her boss, Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono visited picket lines put up by both the Hawai'i State Teachers Association and the University of Hawai'i Professional Assembly.

Hirono said she was showing her support for striking faculty and teachers.

"I care about students, support our teachers and I want to see a fair settlement," Hirono said of her presence on the picket line.

Hirono visited picket lines at Kauluwela Elementary School, the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and Kaimukx High School today and was scheduled to go to either Dole Intermediate or Farrington High School later in the day.

Gov. Ben Cayetano has said the state cannot afford the pay increases sought by university faculty and public school teachers. Hirono, who has said she will run for governor in 2002, said there was nothing political in her appearance on the picket line.

HCC picket line crossed

At the Honolulu Community College, not eveyone honored the picket line, but strikers said they remain determined to get an acceptable contract.

Troy Baker, 31, HCC student body president at HCC, stayed out of class in support of the striking professors even though he is scheduled to graduate this semester.

"It's looking gloomy," said Baker. He said students are crossing the line to get to classes taught by part-time instructors not in the faculty union.

"Students don't want to cross the line, but they don't want to flunk either," Baker said.

David Cleveland, a sociology professor, said he's hoping for a short strike, but added: "We've been without a contract for 600 days. We've been bargaining for over 800 days. We are resolute. We'll stay out here until we get one."

Cleveland said the strike was about drawing the line in the sand in the wake of years of budget cutbacks within the university system.

"We can't gut this university anymore. We spend our lives and careers working for the university, (only) to watch it wither for the past decade," he said. "It has been increasingly frustrating and depressing."

On the other side of the island, Windward Community College was virtually deserted this morning.

Picket captain Paul Field said morale is good, with people dropping off food and drinks for the strikers.

"We're here and we plan to stay," he said.

Kaua'i picket lines quiet

On Kaua'i, the picket lines were quiet but well organized at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School outside Lihu'e. Two of the school's 61 teachers crossed the picket line without incident.

Principal Maggie Cox said she intended to meet with teachers and other school employees who crossed the lines later in the morning in order to assign work.

Even though no students arrived at school this morning, she said she would have no difficulty finding tasks for them.

"This is a new school. There's always lots of work to do," she said.