Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 850 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to restore the right of public employees in certain collective bargaining units to strike in order to resolve disputes with their public employers.

Specifically, this measure restores the right of public employees in the following collective bargaining units to strike. Employees in these units had earlier given up the right to strike in exchange for mandatory arbitration:

(2) Supervisory employees in blue-collar positions;

(3) Nonsupervisory employees in white-collar positions;

(4) Supervisory employees in white-collar positions;

(9) Registered professional nurses;

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. The United Public Workers provided qualified support for this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 850 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.