Posted on: Monday, April 18, 2005

Wages last issue in teacher talks

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Contract negotiations between the state and the union representing 13,400 public-school teachers will resume today, with wages the remaining unresolved issue for a two-year contract, representatives for both sides said yesterday.

"We're hoping it's not a stumbling block," said Joan Husted, executive director of the Hawai'i State Teachers Association.

The union is looking for a "significant pay raise" but recognizes it might not get it, Husted said. Noting that there are more than 200 classroom vacancies statewide, Husted said that increasing Hawai'i's teacher pay scale is a key factor in getting qualified teachers.

Ken Taira, the state's chief negotiator, said he does not expect an agreement on wages until Gov. Linda Lingle has had a chance to analyze the effect of an arbitrator's ruling announced Friday that awarded 42,000 members of the Hawai'i Government Employees Association raises averaging about 5 percent in each of the next two years.

The HGEA contract is expected to cost the state about $97.3 million over the next two years, according to calculations by state Budget Director Georgina Kawamura.

The state and HSTA met Saturday for about four hours and, after taking yesterday off, the parties are scheduled to resume talks this afternoon.

"As far as wages are concerned, it will have to be decided at a later date," Taira said of negotiations with HSTA, whose current contract expires June 30. "The governor has to analyze the total impact of the HGEA award and determine how much is left over."

In 2004, the teachers settled for a $27 million contract that increased top-scale teacher salaries by $2,500 to $66,203 and the pay of starting teachers to $36,486. The contract was retroactive to July 2003.

Besides the teachers, the state also has to negotiate contracts with two United Public Workers units representing prison guards, public hospital workers, food-service employees and custodians.

Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.