STAND. COM. REP. NO.  626-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1651

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1651, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a collective bargaining unit for graduate student assistants employed by the University of Hawaii.

 

     The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, Hawaii State AFL-CIO, United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1260, AFL-CIO, IMUAlliance, Academic Labor United, Young Progressives Demanding Action, Americans for Democratic Action, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and numerous concerned individuals supported this measure.  The University of Hawaii and Office of Collective Bargaining opposed this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance provided comments.  

 

     Your Committee finds that there are many concerns with this measure, in particular that this will be the only bargaining unit in the state where the employees would be temporary and unable to create its career within that unit.  Your Committee notes this issue because this may create unintended multiple beneficiaries that will accrue over time and create additional liabilities for the state retirement system.  However, your Committee feels strongly that the many inherent rights that protect other vulnerable workers are needed for this class of employees, given the inability of the current system to proactively negotiate safeguards and other long overdue benefits equally among all graduate assistant programs.

 

     Should your Committee on Finance further deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully request that they examine the fiscal impact of these temporary beneficiaries on the employees' retirement system and whether further refinements of this measure are needed to address these concerns.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1651, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair