Posted at 11:14 a.m., Friday, April 13, 2001

Teachers' unions plan talks with state

Advertiser Staff

As the strike by public school teachers and University of Hawai'i faculty dragged into its ninth day, negotiators for the state and Hawai'i State Teachers Association planned to meet with a federal mediator at 5 p.m. today.

Negotiators for the state and the University of Hawai'i Professional Assembly are scheduled to meet with a federal mediator at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Joan Husted, HSTA executive director, said union negotiators are prepared to meet through the Easter holiday if that is what it takes to settle the strike, which began April 5.

Husted said she was "very encouraged" that the state had agreed to meet with federal mediator Carol Catanzariti. She said she suspects statements yesterday by Federal Judge David Ezra may have triggered the state's decision. Ezra warned the state risked a federal court takeover of the schools system if he found the strike was hurting special needs students.

Because today is a holiday, public school teachers and UH faculty are not picketing. HSTA will not picket through the weekend. UHPA will picket at Honolulu Community College and Kapi'olani Community College tomorrow.