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The Hawaii Government Employees Association pay raise is moving in the state Legislature, despite opposition from the Cayetano administration. Senate panel defies gov,
OKs HGEA pay raiseTeachers rally Capitol
By Richard Borreca
Star-BulletinThe Senate Labor Committee yesterday voted to fund the pay raise that was won in binding arbitration last year.
The only senator to vote against the bill was Sen. Sam Slom (R, Hawaii Kai), who said he wasn't sure the state could afford it.
The state has argued that that the Legislature is not bound to fund the pay raise, which would cost more than $100 million in the next two years.
"The 2000 Legislature failed to act upon the submittal of the interest arbitration award or in any way indicate the Legislature's intent to fund the award, resulting in the rejection of the ... award," Gov. Ben Cayetano said in a letter to the legislators made public yesterday.
Cayetano said the award is now being appealed to the state Supreme Court, but that "even if the Hawaii Supreme Court affirms the ruling of the Circuit Court, the Legislature's inaction amounted to a rejection of the award."
Despite the governor's insistence that the state doesn't have to pay the award, the Senate appears headed in the opposite direction.
At yesterday's hearing, the Labor Committee voted with no discussion to pay the award.
It now goes to the Ways and Means Committee.
Republican leader Slom said he voted against the measure because he thinks the state should provide "tax relief and educational reforms" before extending public employees a pay raise.
"I don't want to get in a position where we don't have money for education because we have given out pay raises," Slom said.
Democratic leader Sen. Cal Kawamoto was upset with Cayetano's administration, saying it was arguing on one hand that the HGEA contracts had to be negotiated, while on the other, the governor was asking for raises for his executives.
When Davis Yogi, state negotiator, said it was similar to a business rewarding executives when business performance increased, Kawamoto fired back.
"Give me a break, you got to be joshing," he said.
"You come over here and tell me to pass a pay raise because the economy is doing good, but we can't take care of the pay raise that was awarded last year," he said.
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