STAND. COM. REP. NO.  88

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 546

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 546 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the University of Hawaii to provide nonsupervisory employees in blue collar positions and certain officers and employees who are excluded from collective bargaining with the same educational benefits provided to faculty of the University of Hawaii and the community college system.

The United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO testified in support of this measure.  The University of Hawaii testified in opposition to this measure.  The Hawaii Government Employees Association provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee is cognizant of concerns raised by legislatively mandating benefits that may be more appropriately addressed through collective bargaining; we encourage further discussion of this issue by your Committee on Higher Education.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 546 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Higher Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair