STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1025

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   S.B. No. 331

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 331, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to assist Hawaii's workers by increasing the hourly minimum wage over time and then adjusting it annually in accordance with changes to the consumer price index.  Specifically, this bill changes the hourly minimum wage to:

 

(1)  $8.25 beginning on January 1, 2014;

 

(2)  $8.75 beginning on January 1, 2015;

 

(3)  $9.25 beginning on January 1, 2016; and

 

(4)  An amount adjusted in accordance with changes to the consumer price index beginning on January 1, 2017, and every year thereafter.

 

     The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Human Services; United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO; American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii; Labor Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Democratic Party of Hawaii; Plumbers and Fitters Local 675; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; National Employment Law Project; Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans; Pride At Work Hawaii; ILWU Local 142; Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; UNITE HERE! Local 5; Hawaii Government Employees Association; Hawaii Women's Coalition; Dad's Granola, LLC; and numerous concerned individuals supported this measure.  Leilani's on the Beach; Keoki's Paradise; Duke's Waikiki; Hula Grill Waikiki; Duke's Beach House Maui; and TS Restaurants Hawaii supported the intent of this measure.  Duke's Kauai and Hula Grill supported this measure with amendments.  Hawaii Food Industry Association; Retail Merchants of Hawaii; The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; ABC Stores; Gyotaku Japanese Restaurants; Okimoto Corp.; Pomare Ltd., dba Hilo Hattie; Aloha Contracts Services; Panya Group, Restaurant and Bakery; Tiki's Grill & Bar; Hawaii Restaurant Association; Hawaii Bar Owners Association; National Federation of Independent Business Hawaii; L&L Franchise, Inc.; City Mill Company, Ltd.; Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Na Pali Sea Tours, Inc.; ITO EN (USA) Inc; Times Supermarket; Auntie Pasto's Kunia/Dixie Grill; Sunshine Lady; Frame 10, dba KBXtreme; and numerous concerned individuals opposed this measure.  Hawaii State AFL-CIO, Hukilau Lanai, Kimo's Restaurant, Cool Cat Café, and Captain Jacks Island Grill provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Changing the increased hourly minimum wage to:

 

(A)  $7.75 beginning on January 1, 2014;

 

(B)  $8.25 beginning on January 1, 2015;

 

(C)  $8.75 beginning on January 1, 2016; and

 

(D)  $9.00 beginning on January 1, 2017; and

 

(2)  Removing the provision that authorized the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to adjust the minimum hourly wage in accordance with changes to the consumer price index beginning on January 1, 2017, and every year thereafter.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 331, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 331, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair