HLRB orders
state to discuss
Kapolei move

The state labor board has ordered
the governor's office to address workers'
concerns about relocating to Kapolei

Cayetano pal got $40 million in non-bid work

By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin

If more talk is what they want, then talk is what they'll get before 1,000 government workers are moved to "Second City" Kapolei, according to the governor's spokeswoman.

The Hawaii Labor Relations Board yesterday ordered the state to have "meaningful consultation" with the Hawaii Government Employees Association before the workers are relocated to a new Kapolei civic center starting in August.

"It's not insurmountable," said Kathleen Racuya-Markrich, spokeswoman for Gov. Benjamin Cayetano. "Why wouldn't it be doable? Certainly the employer is ready, willing and able."

The state's intended move to Kapolei, billed as Oahu's Second City, has become a state backache. Envisioning the first government presence in Oahu's western movement, the vision backfired as many workers rebelled. They said leaving downtown offices for Kapolei 20 miles away would disrupt their lives and their work with the public. The HGEA charged the state with poor planning and said it dodged discussions about which agencies would leave and which would stay.

Although the state has a right to make the move, the way it has gone about it violates labor laws, declared the labor board in its 39-page decision.

The state failed to consult with the HGEA about which agencies had to relocate.

It also failed to work with the union to ease employee concerns about the relocation, the board said.

Some employees complained that the move would add car expenses because of the longer commute, and perhaps require a second car. Other potential hardships included loss of second jobs and educational opportunities, a longer commute, operational inefficiency, child care, elder care and geographic location as a condition of work.

Although the move of government offices to Kapolei will create hardships, it won't displace anyone or change their job responsibilities, the board found.

"With respect to the state's purpose in relocating to Kapolei, the state expressed its interest in seeding the Second City. The movement of 1,000 state employees is evidence of the state's commitment to that vision," the board said.

Yet while the board found the relocation itself to be nonnegotiable, it also determined that the state failed to consult with the union on "substantial and critical" matters effecting employees.

"The employer's position has always been 'It was done before,'" said Racuya-Markrich. "But the board thought it wasn't meaningful enough."

The state's next move will be to meet with all people involved to discuss the decision and determine options, Racuya-Markrich said.