Posted on: Friday, March 23, 2001

Teachers, state called back to bargaining table

By Alice Keesing
Advertiser Education Writer

A federal mediator has called the teachers union and the state back to the bargaining table next week in an effort to stave off a strike, but the state's chief negotiator said he's not sure this is the best time for mediation.

Mediator Ken Kawamoto, who led an earlier round of talks between the two sides, has asked them to sit down Thursday.

But the state's chief negotiator, Davis Yogi, said the legal maneuvers that have emerged in the last week have complicated the situation and he won't be able to respond to the mediator until he has a better sense of those outcomes.

"I need to see how helpful (the mediator) would be," Yogi said. "He was helpful at one time, but I need to get the lay of the land right now."

Hawai'i State Teachers Association President Karen Ginoza said it would be unfortunate if the state did not return to the table.

"It's countdown time, so I guess we just have to keep our strike preparations in place," she said.

However, Yogi said it's still his intent to keep negotiating.

"We're going to have to reach agreement sooner or later," he said. "My preference is sooner."

Meanwhile, the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board this morning will hear the first of several motions filed in the case, which have the potential to at least delay a strike. The HSTA is asking the board to speed up its hearing of two complaints filed against the union by the state.

The state has accused the union of not bargaining in good faith and of using coercive tactics by planning to photograph people who cross the picket line.

It is unclear if the teachers can strike before the complaints are resolved. The complaint hearing is scheduled for April 5, which is when teachers intend to walk off the job.

The HSTA has said the complaints are without merit and called them a tactic to stop a strike.

State Attorney General Earl Anzai said that is "twisting things around."

"We're not filing these complaints to stop a strike," he said. "We're filing these things because of their prohibited practices."

Meanwhile, the HSTA yesterday filed its official notice of intent to strike on April 5. Negotiations between the union and state have been deadlocked since November.

The state's last proposal would give 40 percent of Hawai'i's teachers raises of between 11 and 20 percent, averaging 12 percent. The union is asking for a package that amounts to 22 percent. Hawai'i's teachers earn between $29,000 and $58,000.

The last time teachers walked off the job was April 1973. That strike lasted 19 days.