Posted on: Monday, March 26, 2001

Labor board member bows out of teacher dispute

By Alice Keesing
Advertiser Education Writer

One of the three members of the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board angrily recused himself from hearings between the state and the teachers union this morning after suggestions that he was biased.

Chester Kunitake stormed out of a pre-hearing after a deputy attorney general asked if he could be fair in hearing the state's two complaints against the Hawai'i State Teachers Association.

"It appeared to me that he could not treat the state fairly," said Deputy Attorney General Francis Keeno. "He was predisposed to thinking this was all done to stall the strike without even hearing any evidence."

The HSTA's lawyer, Vernon Yu, objected to Kunitake's recusal, and board chairman Brian Nakamura said he would consider the matter.

Kunitake is the board's union representative. Kathleen Racuya-Markrich, the governor's former press secretary, represents the employers' interests. Nakamura is a neutral public representative. He was chief of staff for Gov. Ben Cayetano when Cayetano was lieutenant governor. All board members are appointed by the governor.

The board tomorrow will begin hearing the state's two complaints, which accuse the union of bad-faith bargaining and question its plans to photograph anyone who crosses the picket line. The board has agreed to speed up the hearing of the complaints so they do not interfere with the teachers' plan to strike April 5.