Teachers optimistic on contract
Advertiser Staff
Though the state and teachers union have passed their self-imposed deadline for reaching a contract, there's still time to arrive at a tentative agreement and get it to lawmakers for inclusion in the state budget, union spokeswoman Danielle Lum said.
The two sides met yesterday at Hawai'i State Teachers Association headquarters, with wages the sole unresolved issue. Talks will resume at 1 p.m today.
HSTA had hoped to have its members ratify a contract by last Friday, so that money for raises could be included in the state budget that lawmakers are preparing in the current legislative session.
However, Lum said it could be possible to ratify a contract as late as April 27 and still make the budget deadline.
HSTA hopes to give teachers at least 48 hours to review a deal before voting on it, she said.
The two sides earlier had been at an impasse over issues related to time teachers spend working outside the classroom, and a federal mediator was called in to assist the talks. Lum said an agreement had been reached on those issues.
State chief negotiator Ken Taira could not say how long negotiations were likely to take.
"We hope to see some movement," he said.
The teachers asked for raises of 15 percent for each year of the two-year contract. The state offered 1.5 percent raises over two years. The current contract expires June 30.
On Friday, the state's largest public employee union won an arbitrated pay raise that averages 5 percent in each of the next two years. The award to Hawai'i Government Employees Association members is expected to cost the state $97.3 million over two years, plus additional costs to each of the four counties.
HGEA had sought wage increases of 10 percent to 14 percent over two years for its mostly white-collar employees. The state's position called for raises of 1.5 percent, with increases to 4 percent for some supervisory positions.
The state also is negotiating with the United Public Workers, which represents blue-collar employees. The state has offered them annual raises of 1.5 percent.
