STAND. COM. REP. NO. 335

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1498

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.B. No. 1498 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to:

(1) Determine qualifications for grievance arbitrators and interest arbitrators; and

(2) Review and determine the qualifications and criteria for potential arbitrators selected under certain circumstances to resolve collective bargaining impasses.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and Hawaii Fire Fighters Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Labor Relations Board.

Your Committee finds that there is a clear delineation between grievance arbitrators and interest arbitrators. Due to the fundamental difference between resolving contractual disputes and determining the provisions of the contract, it is appropriate to segregate the functions of a grievance arbitrator and an interest arbitrator, as well as to allow the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to determine qualifications for each.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2051, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1498, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1498, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts,

________________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair