Teachers ask labor board to implement contract

By Alice Keesing
Advertiser Education Writer

The teachers union yesterday asked the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board to order the state to implement their contract while they continue to hash out their differences over a professional bonus.

Next week the board will begin hearing complaints filed by both the union and state in a disagreement over a professional bonus or "differential," and whether it was intended to be paid for one or two years.

The dispute means that nearly five months after Hawai'i's teachers voted to accept the contract and end their three-week strike, they have not received any raises. The Hawai'i State Teachers Association filed a motion yesterday asking the board to force the state to implement the remainder of the contract while they resolve the issue of the bonus.

"Both of the parties in their pleadings have acknowledged that they have entered into a collective bargaining agreement . . . and there is no reason that (the bonus dispute) should hold up the remainder of the agreement," said HSTA's attorney Vernon Yu.

HSTA officials have said the deadlock is aggravating the state's teacher shortage by keeping potential recruits away and forcing new hires to leave after only weeks in the classroom.

The governor has offered to implement all of the contract except for the bonus, but Yu said that proposal came with "unacceptable" conditions.

Reach Alice Keesing at akeesing@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8014.