City challenges
labor board member

City attorneys ask that Kunitake
be disqualified from hearing
the UPW case

By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin

As Mayor Jeremy Harris and the United Public Workers Union were preparing to argue their case before the Hawaii Labor Relations Board today, a city official accused a board member of siding with the union.

City attorneys yesterday filed a motion asking that member Chester Kunitake be disqualified.

Carol Costa, city information director, said Kunitake opposed an earlier city request for more time to work on UPW's complaint that city officials reneged on a contract agreement.

According to Costa, Kunitake said granting the city additional time would postpone's today hearing until after the legislative session, which means that state UPW employees would not get their pay raises.

The UPW contends Harris and Managing Director Bob Fishman reneged on their promise of a $10 million to $14 million pay raise in exchange for an agreement expanding automated trash collection.

Harris and Fishman said neither of them made that promise.

The union is asking the labor board to grant injunctive relief -- in effect, to force the city to accept the settlement.

When the city failed to sign the proposed contract, the union told its trash collectors not to honor the automation agreement, which the city said could save an estimated $1.1 million.

Workers two weeks ago did not pick up trash at about 35,000 homes.

So that trash would be collected, the city told the union to revert to the existing contract, which expires Friday.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed," said Michael Cordray, a refuse collector in Pearl City. "Nobody wants to go on strike."

But the city sued for breach of contract April 13 to force the union to abide by its signed agreement to expand trash automation.

UPW State Director Gary Rodrigues has said for the past several weeks that he needs just one neighbor island vote for a majority to approve his proposed contract.

Rodrigues already has the state's support, which counts for four votes.

But Harris tightened consensus between the four mayors yesterday hoping to thwart the union's lure of a vote.

The mayors forged an agreement opposing the current contract proposal based on management issues, Harris said.

"The mayors are united: The current proposal is unacceptable," Harris said.

The mayors disagreed with the union in sick leave policy, drug testing and scheduling, Harris said.

But the mayors -- in their second meeting of the week -- didn't discuss "the biggest sticking point, money," Harris said.

As far as Honolulu is concerned, the UPW union's requested raise is nonnegotiable.

"We've made it clear from the beginning we simply don't have the money to give their raises," Harris said.

"We're laying off people."

Rodrigues refused to comment.

The mayors will continue discussions this week.

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Star-Bulletin writer Gordon Y.K. Pang
contributed to this report.