STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1962

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 1498

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1498, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII LABOR RELATIONS BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Broaden the powers and functions of the Hawaii Labor Relations Board (Board) to include:

(A) Determining qualifications and establishing lists of qualified persons to be available to serve as grievance arbitrators; and

(B) Resolving disputes over the qualifications and criteria for potential arbitrators selected under certain circumstances to resolve collective bargaining impasses; and

(2) Clarify that in the case that public employers and public employees are not able to agree to a neutral arbitrator to chair the panel that arbitrates an impasse, the neutral arbitrator shall be selected from a list of experienced interest arbitrators.

Pride at Work Hawaii; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463, IAFF, AFL-CIO; and State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers testified in support of this measure. The Hawaii Labor Relations Board provided comments on this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1498, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair