Mayors back House
privatization bill

The House bill
exempts privatization from
collective bargaining

By Craig Gima
Star-Bulletin

House and Senate conferees were expected to look at a bill today that would allow private companies to perform government services.

This came after the four county mayors and 150 supporters held a march at the state Capitol yesterday to lobby for privatization.

The legislators "must act on the privatization bill," said Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris. "We all have to have the authority to use common sense."

Maui Mayor Linda Lingle said privatization can be a more efficient way to deliver government services.

"We can't be different from the rest of the world," Lingle said. "China has learned this. Russia has learned this. Now our Legislature has to learn this."

The mayors are hoping to pressure the Senate to move toward the House version of the bill in conference committee.

If the bill does not move out of committee today, the mayors are asking senators to pull it for a floor vote tonight on whether to agree to the House-passed amendments on the Senate bill.

Lingle said the Senate bill is "worse than no bill at all because it gives the public the impression something was done when, in fact, nothing was done."

Among those marching with the mayors were some trade unions and representatives of nonprofit groups whose contracts are threatened by challenges to privatization.

Jamie Woodburn of Ka Lima O Maui said the United Public Workers union has challenged a contract for about 50 physically and developmentally disabled custodial workers to pick up litter in parks and clean up some Maui fire and police stations.

The House and Senate are hung up on two key points in the privatization bill.

The House wants to exempt privatization from collective bargaining. The Senate does not specifically exempt it.

The mayors say if privatization is not exempted, unions will still be able to challenge private contracts under collective-bargaining law.

"If we can get it (the exemption), it will prevent a strike," said Big Island Mayor Stephen Yamashiro.

"If we can't get it in the bill, it will probably precipitate a strike."

The House and Senate also disagree on whether current contracts should be subject to review and possible cancellation in a new privatization process.

Senate Human Resources Committee Co-Chairwoman Suzanne Chun Oakland said the Senate is committed to passing a privatization bill and the mayors' visit reinforces that commitment.

Chun Oakland said she has not considered yet whether she will move to pull the bill from conference committee over the objections of Co-Chairman Brian Kanno (D, Makakilo).

"I do hope we can come out with a compromise," she said. "I don't think it will go that far."