STAND. COM. REP. NO.  692

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1277

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1277, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow graduate student assistants employed for a minimum of 20 hours a week by the University of Hawaii to collectively bargain.

The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Graduate Student Organization at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; Democratic Party of Hawaii; LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1260, AFL-CIO; IMUAlliance; Hawaii State Teachers Association;  United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO; and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Human Resources Development, Office of Collective Bargaining, University of Hawaii, and one individual testified in opposition.  The Department of Budget and Finance provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 1277, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1277, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair