Officials from the Hawaii State Teachers Association met for the first time today with the Lingle Administration to discuss the governor’s plan to end furlough Fridays.

The union released a short statement at about 3 p.m., suggesting an alternative to Gov. Linda Lingle's plan.
The union said the governor has other options available to reduce the furlough days without tapping the state’s rainy day fund.
Lingle has proposed ending teacher furlough days by a combination of paying teachers from the state's rainy day fund and asking teachers to give up their planning days.
The teacher union said its members are willing to go back to work on furlough days if they get paid for those days.
“As stated by House Finance Chair Marcus Oshiro, there are multiple ways to accomplish this (ending furloughs),” said Wil Okabe, president of the HSTA.
Oshiro has suggested the governor rescind her restriction of money already appropriated to the Department of Education. The governor cut the DOE’s appropriation by $134 million when state tax revenues declined.
Okabe, of the teacher's union, said teachers are willing to come back on furlough days if they are paid to do so.
“Teachers are willing to return to their classrooms on furlough days, as long as elected officials make education a priority by restoring education funding,” he wrote.