STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2694

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2398

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2398, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a collective bargaining unit for graduate student assistants employed by the University of Hawaii.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii at Manoa Graduate Student Organization and the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly.

     Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the University of Hawaii System, Department of Budget and Finance, and Office of Collective Bargaining.

     Your Committee finds that graduate student assistants are a vital part of the University of Hawaii System.  Graduate student assistants teach courses, conduct research, and perform administrative duties.  Despite increases in inflation and living costs, the graduate student assistant pay rate has not increased in over a decade.  Additionally, the comparatively short duration of many graduate student assistant positions leaves graduate student assistants vulnerable to exploitation or retaliation.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by delaying the formation of the graduate student assistant collective bargaining unit until July 1, 2017, to allow time for the organization and planning of the unit.

     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. 2398, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2398, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair