Teachers union, state reaffirm stands

Advertiser Staff

With a threatened state-wide public school teachers strike a week away, the governor and teachers union president appealed to the people for support last night.

Gov. Ben Cayetano answers reporters' questions following the taping of his remarks at the KITV studios. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Gov. Ben Cayetano said he requested the free time to counter the public relations tactics of the public school teachers.

"I think there's been a tremendous momentum that has been generated by the teachers," he said after the taping of the show. "The legislators are concerned about this politically."

Cayetano reaffirmed his support of education and teachers, even during tough economic times. He agreed the endorsement of the Hawai'i State Teachers Association helped him win his elections. But he said there is not enough money to give teachers the raise they want.

"A strike would change many things, but it would not change the fact that the state cannot afford the 22 percent raise the HSTA is demanding," Cayetano said.

Paying for the union's demands would mean taking away programs for the "poor, needy and disabled" and cutting all department budgets, including the Department of Education, he said.

HSTA president Karen Ginoza said independent fact-finders have found the state can afford the raises. But, she said, the issue is not about money.

"It is about providing the best education for children," she said, and tackling a severe public teacher shortage that leaves 69 classrooms empty every day.

"If the state continues to refuse to pay teachers the salaries they deserve, we will be entrusting our children's education to more and more unqualified teachers," Ginoza said.

The reaction to the presentations was mixed last night.

Meg Gammon, a parent of two public school students, said Cayetano came off as "a less-than-honest politician." The Kailua resident said the governor was elected on a platform of education but is unwilling to live up to his promises.

"Those teachers serve as substitute parents to so many kids. He talks about cutting this, that and the other thing. But you know what? The schools are where it begins, and I have so much respect for the teachers," Gammon said. "Teachers do extraordinary things in spite of the system, not because of it."

But former public school teacher Malcolm Kirkpatrick agreed with the governor.

"The governor has made a couple of good points in that we have no measure of teacher effectiveness and we pay them all the same," said Kirkpatrick, who ran unsuccessfully for the Board of Education last year.

With the state facing a shortage in certain teaching areas, Kirkpatrick said it would make more sense to pay more to those specialists.

"The governor has mentioned this," he said. "But the union doesn't like it because it sets one group of teachers against another and it undermines their ability to produce a united front. It undermines their leverage."

Board of Education member Karen Knudsen said last night's show produced no clear winner. She added that she heard nothing new from either side.

"I don't know who's going to come out ahead in terms of public opinion, but at least it really allowed the different view points to be laid out," Knudsen said. "I think both of them made very good points. But I wish that it had been a point-counterpoint (format) to be able to clarify things."

Knudsen said Cayetano scored points when he tied teacher's raises to performance and accountability. But she gave Ginoza high marks for reminding the public how difficult it is to retain teachers on their present salary.

Ginoza last night also addressed the union's legal troubles, calling the state's complaint that the teachers have bargained in bad-faith "preposterous."

Ginoza and other union officials were grilled during Tuesday's hearing before the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board. Attorney General Earl Anzai said he's optimistic the state will win its case, which could result in teachers being prohibited from going on strike.

"We'll wait and see what happens next week when the report is released," Ginoza said after the taping. "We're very concerned that the rules are being changed at the last minute."

Meanwhile, state and union negotiators met for three hours yesterday. The union would not comment when asked if any progress was made. The state's chief negotiator, Davis Yogi, called the session "productive."

But there are no plans to return to the table.

Staff writers Alice Keesing, Curtis Lum and Jennifer Hiller contributed to this report.

Teachers contract issues at a glance

• Officially, the union has requested a 22 percent package with a price tag of $260 million. Informally, it has offered a 21 percent package that would cost $161 million.

• The state's package averages a 12 percent increase, ranging from 10 to 20 percent. The total cost is $67 million. It includes $5,000 a year for teachers who gain national certification.

• Teachers currently earn between $29,000 and $58,000.

• The issues: The union says Hawai'i is facing a teacher shortage crisis and the state needs to improve pay to boost recruitment and retention. The state says it has a limited amount to pay and wants to tie any pay raise to improving performance.

• The Hawai'i State Teachers Association represents nearly 13,000 public school teachers statewide.

• Hawai'i's teachers have been without a contract since January 1999.

• In the last round of contract talks in 1997, teachers were within hours of striking when a deal was reached. That contract provided a 17 percent increase but added seven days to the school calendar.

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