Teachers union declares impasse in negotiations

By James Gonser
Advertiser Staff Writer

The union that represents Hawai'i's public school teachers yesterday announced an impasse in contract negotiations with the state, leading to fears that another teachers strike is possible.

The announcement by the Hawai'i State Teachers Association came less than two years after the end of a statewide teachers strike and amid a climate of new budget cuts ordered by a new governor, but with some old issues still very much at the point of dispute.

Pay and working conditions are among them, but the bad blood between the groups is beginning to boil.

"We're disappointed in the superintendent (Pat Hamamoto) and her team," said HSTA president Karen Ginoza yesterday. "In this time of fiscal difficulty, in this time of severe teacher shortage, instead of trying to improve non-cost issues, they are instead proposing a series of takeaways."

Ted Hong, the state's chief negotiator, said the union is "negotiating by ambush."

Hong said HSTA was asking for a 15 percent pay raise totaling about $220 million until the final day of negotiations on Friday when their proposal was dropped to 6 percent increases over two years, leaving no time to analyze and respond to the offer.

"In this period of time of layoffs and labor concessions that kind of an offer defies logic and the present state of our economy," Hong said. "These tactics by the HSTA have created an unreasonable expectation among teachers and the general public."

The state has countered with no pay raises for the next two years.

"The governor has committed to no state employees being laid off," Hong said. "All we want to do is let out employees, our co-workers, keep their jobs, to pay their bills to take care of their families with no wage reductions, no layoffs, no cuts in benefits, but no salary increases."

Hawai'i teachers struck for three weeks in April 2001 before ratifying a proposed contract that called for raises totaling about 18.5 percent over the next two years. The contract also called for teacher bonuses, which played a major role in reaching a settlement to end the longest teachers strike in Hawai'i history.

But the union and the state quickly disagreed over whether the bonuses applied to one year or both years of their new agreement. Ultimately, the teachers got only one year of the extra money.

Hawai'i teachers now start at $34,294 a year with an average pay of $42,768. The maximum possible salary is $64,203.

The collective bargaining process started in December; the current contract ends June 30.

Ginoza didn't discuss teacher pay yesterday, preferring to focus on what she called a "regressive package" offered by the state.

"All the gains we have made over the years are now listed as take-aways," she said. "They want to take away teachers' decision making in the schools."

The union says the state wants to take away professional certificate and doctoral pay differentials, eliminate the peer assistance pilot program, install one single track year-round school calendar and eliminate school-based budgeting.

Those efforts would remove the incentive for teachers to continue their education and take teachers out of the school decision-making process, the union says.

The state says its initiatives are designed to increase quality instructional time, increase efficiency and save money.

Hamamoto said teachers will still take part in decision making in their schools by voting on changes.

"I don't believe we have taken away any of their ability to continue with decision making at the school level," Hamamoto said.

Gov. Linda Lingle campaigned on improving the state's education system and cutting waste in government. Lingle said yesterday that the state cannot afford teacher raises with an impending war and the reduction of tourism that would bring.

"I think it is important to point out that our inability to offer any wage increase to teachers is in no way a reflection of how much we value them or how much respect I have personally for them," Lingle said. "It is my commitment to taxpayers that we can't take on any recurring expenditures without having recurring sources of revenue. The threat of war is a big factor right now in all our actions."

Hamamoto said she is dusting off the strike manuals just in case.

"I need to emphasize very loud and very clear the department is not looking to prepare for a strike," she said. "We do want to settle this and we are committed to the teachers."

A federal negotiator will begin talks between the parties this month.

Advertiser staff writer Catherine Toth contributed to this report.