HSTA to take case to labor board
By Alice Keesing
Advertiser Education Writer
With 12 days left before a threatened teacher strike, the state and the teachers union will argue their cases before a labor board on Monday and before the public on Wednesday.
Beginning Monday, the Hawai'i State Teachers Association will defend itself against the state's accusations that it has bargained in bad faith and is using intimidating tactics by planning to photograph those who cross the picket line.
On Wednesday, Gov. Ben Cayetano will defend the state's position during 15 minutes of air time given to him by the four major television stations. The airtime will come at no cost to the state, said his spokeswoman, Kim Murakawa.
HSTA also will be given 15 minutes to discuss its position. The two sides will not be debating.
The addresses will air consecutively beginning at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on KHON, KITV, KGMB and KHNL.
Yesterday, Cayetano reiterated that the state doesn't have the money to pay the 22 percent increase the union wants and called for a counterproposal from the union.
HSTA President Karen Ginoza said the union already has made informal counterproposals and is ready to return to mediation at any time. The state's chief negotiator, Davis Yogi, said last night it's likely the two parties will sit down next week, either with or without a mediator.
Cayetano, meanwhile, indicated why the state might not want to go the mediation route.
"One thing about mediators, they never look at the big picture," he said. "It's easy to come up and recommend settlements when all you're doing is looking at this one union and what it's asking for and the state. My job is, I need to take into account every union and see what the cost would be on the entire state government, and mediators have a way of not doing that."
Meanwhile, Ginoza also greeted as good news a decision yesterday by the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board to speed up the hearing on the state's complaints, which threaten to delay the planned strike.
The state has said the teachers cannot strike before the complaints are resolved. The complaints initially were scheduled to be heard on April 5, the first day of the planned strike. But the labor relations board yesterday indicated it does not want the complaints to interfere with the teachers' right to strike.
In a sometimes tense meeting, a member of the board accused the state of filing the complaints to delay a strike.
"I feel like the employer is trying to use the board ... to basically stop the teachers from exercising their right to strike under the collective bargaining law," said Chester Kunitake.
State Attorney General Earl Anzai later dismissed that claim, saying Kunitake is the public employee unions' representative on the labor relations board.
If the board agrees with the state's complaint, the state has asked that the board prohibit a strike.
Staff writer Ronna Bolante contributed to this report.
