Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 1392 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to, in certain circumstances, provide unemployment insurance benefits to employees involved in a labor dispute.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from the United Public Workers, the Hawaii State AFL-CIO, the ILWU Local 142, and members of Unity House. Testimony in opposition to the measure was received from the Department of Human Resources Development, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the measure enables employees involved in a labor dispute to collect unemployment insurance benefits if an impasse has been reached and, prior to a work stoppage, an offer was made by the labor organization to submit to binding arbitration and the offer was rejected by the employer.

Your Committee believes that the measure would provide needed financial assistance to striking workers who have little or no income while on strike.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1392 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.