Cayetano, Gov. Ben Cayetano and the Hawaii State Teachers Association will be able to pitch their positions on an impending teachers strike and the contract negotiations directly to the public during a commercial-free half-hour of television Wednesday night on all four local stations.
HSTA team in
TV appeal
All local stations will telecast
the opponents taking their case
on the talks to the publicResults of UH strike vote to come today
By Crystal Kua
Star-BulletinJohn Fink, KHNL vice president and general manager, said it is the first time in his 22-year broadcast career that anything like this has happened.
"It's unprecedented," Fink said.
The program will air after the end of the 6 p.m. news on the channels: KHNL, KHON, KITV and KGMB.
The governor will come on first, followed by the union. Each side will get about 13 1/2 minutes to talk to Hawaii households. Both sides will tape their presentations earlier that afternoon."I welcome this time because I think the people out there don't know enough about what the state's position is like," the governor told reporters yesterday.
"We don't know what he's going to say, so I guess we're going to have to outline our position," HSTA President Karen Ginoza said.
Negotiations between the state and the teachers union are stalled. The HSTA wants a 22 percent raise, while the state is offering an average 12 percent in a 10 percent to 20 percent range. The union said it will strike April 5.
The Hawaii Labor Relations Board will hold a hearing on Tuesday on two prohibited-practice complaints filed by the state against the HSTA.
If the board sides with the state, the complaints could postpone the strike.
The night after the start of the hearing, the governor and the union will take to the airwaves.
"They are two very distinct points of view on a compelling and important issue that needs to be resolved," Fink said.
KHON's Bill Spellman, vice president and general manager, said that the governor's communications director, Jackie Kido, approached his station requesting time for the governor to go on the air.
"The governor's representative came to my station and asked for our cooperation," Spellman said.
"We think it's in the community interest."
Spellman said the air time will be free. There will be no commercials. It is not a money-making venture for us."
>> State Web Site
>> HSTA Web Site
The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly will announce today whether its 3,000 members have authorized a strike. Results of UH strike
vote to come todayStar-Bulletin staff
The board plans to make the announcement at 1:30 p.m. at the UH Campus Center Executive Dining Room, according to a UHPA administrative assistant.
Voting began Monday and votes were due to the assembly yesterday.
Eighty percent of members voted, UHPA executive director J.N. Musto said yesterday.
"We're very pleased with that. It's really significant given the wide diversity of places we work," he said. Musto noted that in addition to 10 campuses, there are a number of faculty on leave or in the field.
The state's final offer on March 16 was 7 percent pay raises over two years, with the possibility of an additional 3 percent in merit pay at UH's Manoa, West Oahu and Hilo campuses.
For community college faculty, the state has offered a $4,755 raise over two years, with 1 percent in merit pay.
The union has asked for 12 percent in across-the-board increases over two years, with an added 1 percent in merit pay.
If members authorize it, UHPA could strike as early as April 3.
Ka Leo O Hawaii
University of Hawaii
UHPA Web Site
