Editorials
Tuesday, January 7, 1997
University of Hawaii strike
must be averted
THE Jan. 13 strike notice filed by the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, the UH faculty union, could give legislators preparing for the 1997 session a rude welcome. This is going to be another difficult year of searching for ways to cut the state budget in a period of slow economic growth.
This year, pressure from government employee unions is a major concern. That wasn't so in the first two years of the Cayetano administration, which were austere enough for most tastes without that.
UHPA is not the only union involved, although it is the only one so far threatening to strike. Still attempting to negotiate contracts to replace those that expired in 1995 are most of the public workers unions, including the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the United Public Workers and Hawaii State Teachers Association. Only the nurses, police and firefighters have settled - and they only through arbitration with awards that make it more difficult for the state to deal with the other unions.
How the state would pay for increases is a crucial question. If public workers get a 6 percent raise over two years, it would cost more than $72 million - which the state reportedly doesn't have. Nor does a tax increase seem feasible.
The comments of the opposing sides in the UH faculty contract dispute reveal a yawning gap in perception. Governor Cayetano says there is no justification for a strike because the state has accepted the union's wage proposal and agreement has been reached on the issue of intellectual property rights.
But the union's executive director, J.N. Musto, said a resolution is not in sight, with differences remaining on other issues such as the settlement of tenure disputes.
Most people probably would find it difficult to understand why the faculty would strike if wages and intellectual property rights were not the issues. Whatever the issues, a strike at the university that lasted more than a few days would be a serious blow to higher education in this state, with the prime victims obviously being the students.
To proceed with a strike, particularly under the current circumstances, would not be acting responsibly. Moreover, the state has to be concerned that a UH strike might encourage other unions with contract disputes, such as the public school teachers, to walk out too. Both the union and the state should make every effort to avert a strike.
Doctor-aided suicide
DISABLED people have launched a protest against the possibility of the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing physician-assisted suicide, but their concerns are misplaced. No one is suggesting that the ultimate life-or-death decision be placed in the hands of a physician. As in the detachment of life-support systems, which already is permitted, the terminally ill patient would be allowed to decide whether to end his or her suffering.
The issue is not whether consent should be broadly accepted as an exception to murder. It is whether the Constitution requires that terminally ill patients be allowed to die with dignity and whether states are capable of writing rigid guidelines to assure that right.
Moving to Hilo
THE decision of C. Brewer and Co. to move its corporate headquarters from Honolulu to Hilo is a much-needed vote of confidence in the Big Island and Hawaii agriculture. The kamaaina firm's interests include coffee, macademia nuts and a variety of enterprises including a bakery and the Hilo Coast Power Co.
It will be interesting to see whether other firms follow Brewer's example.
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Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
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