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Teachers, state
resume talks

The state calls its latest offer
an 'improved proposal'; HSTA
says it 'does not meet
our objectives'

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By Crystal Kua
Star-Bulletin

Negotiators for the state and the union representing Hawaii's public school teachers have resumed contract talks, with the state putting a new salary offer on the bargaining table.

"I think we are throwing in an improved proposal," the state's chief negotiator, Davis Yogi, said after emerging from the headquarters of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, where yesterday's talks took place. "We've sweetened the pot a little bit."

But the union said the proposal doesn't go far enough.

"It's about the same amount of money, just rearranged differently," said HSTA president Karen Ginoza. "The package really does not meet our teachers' objectives."

Both sides, however, declined to talk about details of the proposal.

The state's original proposal offered $3,700, or about 9 percent, across the board during the final two years of a four-year contract.

The union is asking for 22 percent in across-the-board and step increases.

Gov. Ben Cayetano said yesterday that the state's new offer doesn't go above 11 percent and is designed to align salaries with professional development.

"Our proposal, I believe, is a fair and sound one," Cayetano said.

An impasse has been declared in the teacher contract talks, with the process now in a 60-day cooling-off period, which expires March 17.

The union can call for a strike at any time but can't walk off the job until after the cooling-off period has ended.

Union officials have said the earliest a strike could occur would be the first week of April, after spring break.

The union's executive board is scheduled to meet Feb. 24 to authorize a date for a strike vote, which is tentatively set for March 14.

Assisting in negotiations was federal mediator Ken Kawamoto, who helped with talks in December.

"We were making so much progress with the mediator the last time," Yogi said. "He provided some good insights and he's been very helpful, and we'll continue to have our conversation with him."

Both sides described the state's proposal as different.

"It's a mixture of a little bit of everything," Yogi said. "Everyone wants a little bit of steps, they want a little bit across the board."

Ginoza said, "It's a percentage combined with a new salary schedule."

Both sides said the goal of negotiations is to recruit and keep qualified teachers in Hawaii.

"The department is saying they've got recruitment needs and they've got retention needs, and we're saying we've only got so much dollars," Yogi said.

Ginoza said the good news from yesterday's discussions is that both sides are talking.

"We just have to keep talking. We really want to settle, so it's important to keep the doors open, to keep our minds open and to keep discussing the issues that are important to both sides."

Talks are scheduled to resume the week of Feb. 26 with the federal mediator and the state's negotiating team.