Posted on: Tuesday, March 27, 2001

State, teachers $200 million apart

Advertiser Staff

Public school teachers and the state are about $200 million apart in pay issues, a union attorney told the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board today.

Vernon Yu, representing the Hawai'i State Teachers Association, said the state has "shuffled things around" but its three offers still amount to a $67 million package. "The fact remains," Yu said, "that the parties remain over $200 million apart."

The Labor Relations Board began hearings today on two state complaints alleging unfair bargaining practices by the union, which is threatening a statewide teachers strike on April 5.

Deputy Attorney General Francis Keeno told the board the union has not budged from its initial request of a 22 percent raise and has rejected state offers without adequate consideration. He also noted that HSTA President Karen Ginoza admitted to the newsmedia that she had not broken down numbers from the state's latest proposals before rejecting it.

The hearings are expected to continue through tomorrow.