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Mediator working In one corner: The Hawaii State Teachers Association, which represents 12,000 public school teachers, is seeking a raise of 22 percent over four years to attract new teachers and keep experienced teachers from leaving.
to avert strike
by teachers
The HSTA and Gov. Cayetano's
administration are far
apart on a pay hikeThe two key negotiators:
Joan Husted and Davis YogiBy Crystal Kua
Star-BulletinIn the opposing corner: Gov. Ben Cayetano's administration is offering teachers a 9 percent salary increase in the last two years of a four-year deal, a way to reach an agreement with teachers and other public employee unions without breaking the bank.
Refereeing their match-up is federal mediator Ken Kawamoto. The mediation process that could avert a strike in the spring begins today at the federal building.
"We've settled more often in mediation than not," said Joan Husted, the HSTA's chief negotiator. The declaration by the Hawaii Labor Relations Board last week that talks between the HSTA and the state are at an impasse set up this new stage in negotiations.
"As we go through the process, by sharing your thoughts with the mediator, maybe he can help direct," the state's chief negotiator Davis Yogi said.
The state plans to brief the mediator on the state's budget and financial picture today, Yogi said.
The governor has said that the state would be end up being more than $600 million in the red if all the unions get what they asked for.
"What the mediator will do is make sure we both hear the same answer. One of the things you don't do in bargaining is that you don't assume, you never want to take anything for granted," Husted said.
Yogi said he hopes that both sides will come to the table with solutions, but he hasn't yet figured out what the union would accept as its bottom line.
"I have no idea exactly what they want and that's my trouble. They haven't backed off their position so hopefully through mediation, I can get some ideas as to where they want to land," Yogi said.
Husted said sometimes it's helpful to get a third party to come in to ask both sides -- what kinds of things do they really have to have.
"He will explore with both parties alternative ways in achieving your goals -- what if you did this, what if you did that," Husted said.
Teachers are pointing to a shortage of teachers around the state as an indication that if the talks aren't settled soon, more teachers will walk.
But Yogi said some issues go far beyond collective bargaining. "You can sense things from the field. I can sense what the frustrations are. They aren't necessarily resolvable through collective bargaining. Some of it has to do with the management of the public school system," Yogi said. "Money can't solve everything."
Those issues include low teacher morale, cutting classroom size and complying with the federal Felix Consent Decree to improve special education services.
"We haven't had a lot of dialogue from either the (Department of Education) or the administration in terms of how to solve these deeper problems," Husted said.
She said the question for bargaining, however, is different -- How can we make Hawaii salaries more competitive?
"I'm always optimistic going into mediation," Husted said.
"I don't know what's going to happen but we're hopeful."
JOAN HUSTED
Position: Deputy executive director and chief negotiator
After moving to Hawaii, she started as a counselor at King Intermediate School in Kaneohe. In 1970, she left her counselor's position to become a district resource teacher in the Windward District.
In 1971, she became the first teacher to head the HSTA's negotiations committee as the union sought to negotiate the first statewide collective bargaining agreement. She joined the HSTA staff in 1972, serving in several capacities until her current position as deputy executive director. She has seen the union through 11 collective bargaining agreements, two strikes and one teacher walkout.
DAVIS YOGI
From 1988 to 1993, he was director of human resources and government affairs, involved in lobbying the state Legislature and negotiating labor contracts.
In 1993, he became vice president of environmental operations at Brewer Environmental Industries.
He then became chief negotiator in the state Office of Collective Bargaining in January 1999. He now wears two hats as chief negotiator and as Gov. Ben Cayetano's choice to head the state Human Resources Development Department, a position he took Sept. 1.