HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1848

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012

H.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 89-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

     1.  By amending subsection (a) to read:

     "(a)  The employer and the exclusive representative shall meet at reasonable times, including meetings sufficiently in advance of the February 1 impasse date under section 89-11, and shall negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, the amounts of contributions by the State and respective counties to the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund to the extent allowed in subsection (e), and other terms and conditions of employment [which] that are subject to collective bargaining and [which] that are to be embodied in a written agreement as specified in section 89-10[, but such obligation]; provided that the obligation to meet and negotiate does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or make a concession[; provided that the parties may not negotiate with respect to cost items as defined by section 89-2 for the biennium 1999 to 2001, and the cost items of employees in bargaining units under section 89-6 in effect on June 30, 1999, shall remain in effect until July 1, 2001]."

     2.  By amending subsection (e) to read:

     "(e)  Negotiations relating to contributions to the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund shall be for the purpose of agreeing upon the amounts [which] that the State and counties shall contribute under [section 87-4,] section 87A-32, toward the payment of the costs for a health benefits plan, as defined in section [87-1(8), and] 87A-1, and toward the payment of the costs for group life insurance benefits[, and]; provided that the parties shall not be bound by the amounts contributed under prior agreements[; provided that section 89-11 for the resolution of disputes by way of arbitration shall not be available to resolve impasses or disputes relating to the amounts the State and counties shall contribute to the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund.]"

     SECTION 2.  Section 89-10, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

     "(b)  All cost items shall be subject to appropriations by the appropriate legislative bodies.  The employer shall submit within ten days of the date on which the agreement is ratified by the employees concerned all cost items contained therein to the appropriate legislative bodies, except that if any cost items require appropriation by the state legislature and it is not in session at the time, the cost items shall be submitted for inclusion in the governor's next operating budget within ten days after the date on which the agreement is ratified.  The state legislature or the legislative bodies of the counties acting in concert, as the case may be, may approve or reject the cost items submitted to them, as a whole.  If the state legislature or the legislative body of any county rejects any of the cost items submitted to them, all cost items submitted shall be returned to the parties for further bargaining[.]; provided that cost items relating to the amounts of contributions by the state and counties to the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund may be deemed discrete cost items apart from other cost items submitted to them as a result of an arbitration award or negotiated agreement.  The legislature may approve, reject, or modify the arbitration award or negotiated agreement on the amounts of contributions.  Notwithstanding the binding nature of interest arbitration, the parties may submit their respective recommendations on the appropriate amounts of contributions to the legislature within five days from the issuance of the arbitration award, if it is in session, and if the legislature is not in session the parties shall submit their respective recommendations for such contributions to the legislature during the next session of the legislature.  A modification or rejection by the legislature shall not invalidate any other provisions in the negotiated agreement or arbitration award.  In such event, the final and binding agreement of the parties on the amounts of contributions shall consist of the amounts of contributions established by the legislature."

     SECTION 3.  Section 89-11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:

     "(g)  The decision of the arbitration panel shall be final and binding upon the parties on all provisions submitted to the arbitration panel.  [If the parties have reached agreement with respect to the amounts of contributions by the State and counties to the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund by the tenth working day after the arbitration panel issues its decision, the final and binding agreement of the parties on all provisions shall consist of the panel's decision and the amounts of contributions agreed to by the parties.  If the parties have not reached agreement with respect to the amounts of contributions by the State and counties to the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund by the close of business on the tenth working day after the arbitration panel issues its decision, the parties shall have five days to submit their respective recommendations for such contributions to the legislature, if it is in session, and if the legislature is not in session, the parties shall submit their respective recommendations for such contributions to the legislature during the next session of the legislature.  In such event, the final and binding agreement of the parties on all provisions shall consist of the panel's decision and the amounts of contributions established by the legislature by enactment, after the legislature has considered the recommendations for such contributions by the parties.  It is strictly understood that no member of a bargaining unit subject to this subsection shall be allowed to participate in a strike on the issue of the amounts of contributions by the State and counties to the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund.]  The parties shall take whatever action is necessary to carry out and effectuate the final and binding agreement.  The parties may, at any time and by mutual agreement, amend or modify the panel's decision.

     Agreements reached pursuant to the decision of an arbitration panel and the amounts of contributions by the State and counties to the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund, as provided herein, shall not be subject to ratification by the employees concerned.  All items requiring any moneys for implementation shall be subject to appropriations by the appropriate legislative bodies as provided in section 89-10(b) and the employer shall submit all such items within ten days after the date on which the agreement is entered into as provided herein, to the appropriate legislative bodies."

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.


 


 

Report Title:

Collective Bargaining; EUTF; Contributions and Dispute Resolutions

 

Description:

Repeals the prohibition of using arbitration to resolve impasses or disputes relating to state and county EUTF contributions.  Authorizes the arbitration panel to decide on EUTF contributions.  Authorizes parties to arbitration to submit recommendations for contribution amounts to the Legislature.  Authorizes the Legislature to approve, reject, or modify contribution amounts.  Removes a reference to an obsolete provision.  (HB1848 HD2)

 

 

 

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