STAND. COM. REP. NO. 152-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 1924

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1924 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER COMPENSATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require that teachers receive their normal annual increment or longevity increase, as the case may be, for a year's satisfactory service in any fiscal year that an increase in the appropriate salary schedule is affected.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association and numerous teachers testified in support of this measure. The Department of Education supported the intent of the measure. The Department of Budget and Finance opposed the bill.

When Act 253 was enacted in 2000, the Legislature attempted to draw a "bright line" between the civil service system and collective bargaining. It was the Legislature's belief that matters pertaining to wages and benefits were clearly a matter that should be addressed through negotiations between labor and management. Yet, due to the complexity of our system of government, there are instances where this "bright line" becomes unclear.

Your Committees find that our civil service system is based on the merit system, where employees should be recognized for the expertise, skill, and knowledge they provide in government service. Likewise, collective bargaining laws provide employees with the ability to obtain fair and adequate compensation for the work they provide. Your Committees believe that it is in the public's best interest to provide our government employees with an environment that recognizes workers' skills without subjective influences and encourages them to better themselves professionally, while at the same time leaving matters of compensation and benefits to be negotiated between the employees' representative and the State.

Moreover, your Committees find that this measure will provide an important recruitment and retention tool to attract and retain the best and the brightest teachers for Hawaii's children.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1924 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Education,

 

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ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair

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MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair