Top state-workers
union backs Cayetano
re-election

But HGEA refuses to support
three key Democratic House leaders
it says are 'anti-worker'

By Mike Yuen
Star-Bulletin

The state's largest public-workers union has endorsed a straight Democratic ticket headed by Gov. Ben Cayetano, but has decided to withhold support from three key Democratic House leaders.

Russell Okata, Hawaii Government Employees Association executive director, branded as "anti-worker" majority leader Tom Okamura (Aiea), Hawaiian Affairs Chairman Ed Case (Manoa) and Taxation Subcommittee Chairman Nathan Suzuki (Moanalua Valley), who favor civil-service reform.

And while HGEA did endorse state Senate dissident leader Randy Iwase (Mililani) over Okata's "strongest objections," the union isn't backing three members of Iwase's bipartisan coalition -- Democratic Sens. Malama Solomon (Kohala), James Aki (Waianae) and Robert Bunda (Wahiawa).

That should be a signal to Iwase that HGEA is happy with the leadership of Senate President Norman Mizuguchi (Aiea) and that Iwase, if he wins re-election, should reconsider any thoughts of staging a coup to oust Mizuguchi, said Okata, a longtime Mizuguchi ally.

In separate interviews yesterday, Okamura, Case and Suzuki said they simply want to examine collective bargaining and civil service to ensure more effective and cost-efficient government service.

Suzuki, for example, would like all public-employee benefits negotiated as part of collective bargaining, rather than having some becoming effective via legislation. "This way, we know the total cost of benefits," he said.

Okamura theorized that HGEA spurned him because he is opposed to having overtime calculated into retirement pay, which no other state does. He believes there is a lot of abuse with that. Perhaps, Okamura said, new workers -- but not the current work force -- should be prohibited from using the overtime calculation.

Case said he wants the current job system with many narrowly defined classifications replaced by one with fewer but broader job classifications, which would allow "a much greater level of cross-utilization of employees."

"We're simply asking questions nobody wants to ask, especially in an election year," Case said.

HGEA also did not endorse any of the candidates challenging Okamura, Case or Suzuki.

Okata said a key screening question for candidates was whether they would fund $40 million in raises over two years that had been negotiated for HGEA's 24,000 active members -- another 16,000 are retirees or associates.

Cayetano answered yes.

"As far as I'm concerned, and I know the lieutenant governor joins me as well, the fact that the Legislature did not fund those pay raises is in my opinion simply a deferral of our commitment to the contract that we entered with you," Cayetano told HGEA leaders yesterday.

If he has his way, contract issues will be addressed during next year's legislative session, Cayetano said.

While HGEA did not endorse Republican gubernatorial hopeful Frank Fasi, it did rate the former Honolulu mayor as a superior candidate to Maui Mayor Linda Lingle, whom Fasi will face in the GOP primary.

Okata said HGEA's immediate priorities are the re-election of Cayetano, Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, House Speaker Joe Souki (Wailuku), Sens. Rosalyn Baker (Lahaina) and Wayne Metcalf (Hilo) and the election of former Hilo Mayor Lorraine Inouye to Solomon's Senate seat.