Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 2446 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation of $7,417,636 for the payment of collective bargaining increases, which became effective January 2003, for Department of Education employees within bargaining units (1), nonsupervisory employees in blue collar positions, and (5), teachers and other personnel of the Department of Education under the same pay schedule, including part-time employees working less than twenty hours a week who are equal to one-half of a full-time equivalent.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Your Committee finds that effective January 1, 2003, a four percent wage increase was negotiated for bargaining unit (1), and, effective January 21, 2003, a three percent wage increase was negotiated for bargaining unit (5). Your Committee further finds that the Governor's fiscal biennium 2003-2005 proposed budget omitted the necessary funding for these wage increases. Therefore, your Committee determines that an emergency appropriation is necessary to correct this error so as to ensure that adequate funds are available to compensate the employees of bargaining units (1) and (5) for fiscal year 2003-2004.

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 H.B. No. 2446, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.