STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3516

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 59

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.R. No. 59, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII LABOR RELATIONS BOARD TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE GRIEVANCE ARBITRATION PROCESS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIVE BARGAINING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to conduct an investigation on public sector collective bargaining grievance arbitrations with regard to factors including costs, the consumption of time, the types of issues, and the frequencies of appeals.

     Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO.

     Your Committee finds that there is a perception that the public sector collective bargaining grievance arbitration process has become overly formalized, complicated, costly, and time-consuming.  Your Committee believes that an investigation should be made to determine if the process should be simplified so as to provide a quick, just, and cost-effective resolution to conflicts between public employers and employees.

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 59, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair