STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2004

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2060
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor and Environment, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2060 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to make it an unlawful
discriminatory practice for employers to require applicants and
current employees, as a condition of employment, to agree to
forego rights, protections, or remedies provided by the state
employment discrimination laws.

     Testimony in favor of the measure was received from the
Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Civil
Rights Commission, National Employment Lawyers Association,
Hawaii Women Lawyers, Hawaii Women's Legislative Coalition,
ILWU Local 142, and the League of Women Voters of Hawaii.
Testimony in opposition to the measure was received from the
Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hawaii Bankers Association, and
Society of Human Resource Management.

     Your Committee finds, as an example, that most employees
agreeing to mandatory arbitration of their civil rights as a
condition of employment do not understand the significance and
ramifications of the rights relinquished.  Thus, this bill is
necessary particularly to protect non-union employees in an
unequal bargaining position against large employers offering
"take it or leave it" agreements.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2004
                                   Page 2


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Labor and Environment that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 2060 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Labor and
                                   Environment,



                                   ______________________________
                                   BOB NAKATA, Chair

 
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