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Poll: Two-thirds Joan Husted gets stopped in stores by folks who want to let her know what they think about the contract talks between Hawaii's public school teachers and the state.
of voters support
22% raise for teachers
By a margin of 3-1, those polled
Voters back gay harassment decision
favor the teachers' request for a
22% raise over the state's offer of 9%By Crystal Kua
Star-BulletinThey say, "'I hope you guys get what you want. Teachers are really valued,'" said Husted, executive director of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
That sentiment is reflected in a Honolulu Star-Bulletin poll that shows overwhelming support for a 22 percent raise for teachers.
The poll also found support -- although not as strong -- for a pay increase awarded through arbitration to state and county government workers represented by the Hawaii Government Employees Association.The poll involved 603 likely voters interviewed by telephone Dec. 28-Jan. 8 by Market Trends Pacific Inc. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Those surveyed were asked whether they agreed with the HSTA position of giving teachers a 22 percent raise over four years or with the state's position of a 9 percent raise for the last two years of a four-year deal.
A total of 63 percent agreed with the teachers, 21 percent backed the state, 11 percent disagreed with both sides and 5 percent didn't know or refused to answer.
"We're obviously very pleased. It pretty much correlates with the kind of feedback we've been getting from the community," Husted said.
Winston Sakurai, Board of Education first vice chairman, said the numbers are not surprising because the public in general is in favor of teacher raises and the board has come out in favor of a pay increase for teachers.
The teachers' union apparently also is getting support from a fact-finding panel that released a recommendation -- a package of across-the-board raises and step increases of about 19 percent -- on how to settle the stalled teacher contract talks.
HSTA chief negotiator Husted and the state's chief negotiator, Davis Yogi, declined to comment on the report because they said the contents of the recommendation are to remain confidential during the five days both sides have to decide whether to accept or reject it.The report will be made public if it is rejected.
Yogi declined to comment on the poll, referring questions to the governor.
"If we could afford to give our teachers a 22 percent raise, and still have enough money to balance the budget and provide for our other pressing needs, I would," Gov. Ben Cayetano said yesterday.
"Our teachers are hard working and deserve more, but 22 percent is beyond our means right now. The state does not have an unlimited source of money."
Russell Okata, HGEA executive director, doesn't buy the governor's position that the state doesn't have the money for pay raises.
An arbitrator awarded the HGEA a raise of about 15 percent in the last two years of a four-year contract. The governor has said that the state can't afford it.
The award is awaiting approval by the state Legislature.
The poll asked whether those surveyed agreed with the arbitrator or the governor on the HGEA raise.
Forty percent agreed with the governor, 35 percent agreed with the arbitrator, 11 percent disagreed with both sides and 14 percent didn't know or refused to answer.
"Obviously the public is not believing the public rhetoric of not having the ability to pay," Okata said.
He also said the poll question was flawed because the issue is more complex than what was indicated in the question.
"It's not a simple yes or no answer."
Okata said he hopes state lawmakers will look at the poll numbers as a sign of public support for the approval of the pay raise.
Husted echoed the sentiment for her union.
"I'm certain that the employer and the Legislature are going to always pay attention to what the community thinks and wants."
More than two-thirds of those surveyed believe the Board of Education did the right thing in approving a controversial rule change that included protection for gay and lesbian students against harassment Voters back decision
on gay harassmentBy Crystal Kua
Star-BulletinThe board in November voted to add to administrative rules on student misconduct a section that prohibits harassment based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, disability or sexual orientation.
Support for the rules came from those who said "sexual orientation" should be included because gay and lesbian students are targets of harassment.
Those against the inclusion of "sexual harassment" argued that all students should be protected from harassment and that a select group of students should not be given special rights. Critics also said that the rules would open the door to the teaching of homosexuality.
The Star-Bulletin poll asked, "Do you think the school board did the right thing when it included protection of gay students in the rules designed to protect civil rights?"
Sixty-eight percent believed the board did the right thing, 17 percent disagreed with the board, 5 percent thought the board was neither right nor wrong and 10 percent didn't know or refused to answer.
Board member Winston Sakurai voted in favor of the rule change, but during the weeks of debate prior to the final decision he found himself torn on which way to vote.
Sakurai said he looks at the poll numbers as an indication that the majority of the public saw the issue as one of public safety and that it was different from the controversy over whether to allow same-sex marriages in Hawaii.
"I think because it was safety issue, in the end all of us wanted to see students protected and that's why those numbers came out this way," Sakurai said.
Look for poll results on ... Coming this week
Tomorrow: Big issues faced by the Legislature.
