State, teacher
standoff continues

By Crystal Kua
Star-Bulletin

The Hawaii State Teachers Association says it's not backing down from preparing for an April 5 strike despite the state's latest salvo.

"The latest action by the governor is yet another attempt to intimidate and bully teachers," HSTA President Karen Ginoza said yesterday. "It's making teachers, I think, more angry because it's a low blow," Wheeler Elementary teacher Dana Shishido-Leonillo said.

But the state's chief negotiator argued that as long as the prohibited practice complaint filed Friday by the state is pending, the union by law can't strike.

The state on Friday filed the complaint with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board, alleging the HSTA hasn't been bargaining in good faith.

While the state has submitted different proposals to get talks moving, the HSTA has had a "take-it-or-leave-it" attitude, refusing to budge from its initial demand for a 22 percent raise, the complaint says.

The state is asking the labor board to revoke the December impasse declaration and prevent the union from going on strike.

"We have offered informal proposals in an effort to reach a settlement," Ginoza said. "Our informal proposals have been dismissed by the state."

She declined to provide details on the proposals because they were part of off-the-record discussions.

Because the union believes the complaint has no merit, it is continuing with efforts to plan for an April 5 strike.

Teachers are also upset that the governor took out another full page ad in the Honolulu dailies to argue his position to the public. "It's a slap in the face. We supported Ben throughout his political career. He vowed to be there for educators," Shishido-Leonillo said.

The union has said the state needs to offer competitive wages to attract and retain teachers because there is a shortage of qualified teachers nationwide.

Ginoza said the state's latest proposal -- raises ranging from 10 percent to 20 percent with an average of 12 percent -- doesn't address the teacher shortage problem.

But Ginoza said the union is willing to go back to the bargaining table at any time. Yogi said the informal proposals made by the union came during a period when both sides were being assisted by the federal mediator.

"We were talking about concepts."

Yogi also thought the groups should be discussing proposals and holding off on criticism until after they'd had a chance to discuss them.