Posted on: Tuesday, May 10, 2005

EDITORIAL
Union talks should not be needed for transfer

A bill that would force the city or state into negotiations with public worker unions before transfers, reassignments or layoffs puts the government in an untenable position that ultimately will raise costs and stick taxpayers with the bill.

The measure that passed last week by lawmakers, Senate Bill 1352, arose from the Hawai'i Supreme Court's decision in January upholding the right of city officials to transfer 10 Pearl City refuse workers to the Honolulu base yard. The transfer occurred because the city's shift to automated trucks left the Pearl City operation overstaffed and Honolulu needing more workers — a move that makes the best use of tax dollars.

State and city officials appropriately told lawmakers that the bill would compromise their basic ability to marshal their workforce to get jobs done efficiently.

United Public Workers, which represented the refuse workers in the case, argued that without a right to negotiate a transfer or reassignment, workers might be hit with interisland moving costs or other personal repercussions without a way to secure reimbursement.

Clearly that rationale represents a more extreme case, and presumably there would be other safeguards regarding shifting workers to an entirely different island, including appropriate reimbursement policies.

In this case, it's hard to see why reporting to work in

Honolulu instead of Pearl City would pose such a hardship that it would require what could be lengthy or arduous negotiations. Instead, the bill will hamstring managers from making what should be basic managerial decisions based on what makes the most sense.

Gov. Linda Lingle said last week she objects to the bill, which is now on her desk with a pile of others. She should veto the bill. Taxpayers deserve better.