STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2958

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2707

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2707 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:

(1) Require the employer to initiate negotiations on repricing of classes within a bargaining unit within thirty days of its receipt of the exclusive representative's written request to negotiate; and

(2) Establish that the employer's failure to initiate the negotiation within such time frame and the parties' failure to reach an agreement within ninety days of the exclusive representative's written request to negotiate or by January 31 of a year in which the collective bargaining agreement is due to expire, whichever is earlier, constitute an impasse to which the impasse procedures in section 89-11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall apply.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO and United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development, City and County of Honolulu Department of Human Resources, and County of Maui Department of Personnel Services. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that having a reasonable timetable to negotiate repricing of classes within a bargaining unit will help to ensure that public employees are being paid competitive and fair wages. By promoting access to fair and competitive wages, the State and counties would be able to recruit and retain workers to help to address any outstanding vacancies and prevent high turnover for these positions.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2707 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair