[ TEACHER STRIKE ]

Gov. shares
strike goals with
Inouye and Akaka

The senators say the dispute
will be tough to resolve

By Richard Borreca
Star-Bulletin

Gov. Ben Cayetano spent most of yesterday briefing leaders of Hawaii on the state's unprecedented education strikes, but nearly all left saying the labor dispute will not be easily solved.

Cayetano held separate meetings with U.S. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka. They both left saying the strikes are tough to resolve.

"It is going to take some difficult negotiations and discussions, but I am satisfied the governor will continue his negotiations with the two unions," Inouye said.

Earlier Hawaii's senior senator had predicted that the public school teachers strike could be resolved by next Wednesday, or perhaps the Sunday after that, but after talking to Cayetano he was not as optimistic.

Asked if he thought a settlement would be more difficult to reach than he first thought, Inouye said: "Your assessment is correct."

Akaka said essentially the same thing, noting that while it was good that both sides were talking, the pay issues are difficult to compromise.

Cayetano also met yesterday with representatives of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, including executive director Russell Okata, who said the governor is interested in exploring ways of reaching a settlement with the state's white-collar union.

The HGEA last year won a nearly 15 percent pay raise, but Cayetano has said the state could not afford it. He has said the pay raise was not properly before the Legislature for approval and even if it was approved, he would veto it.

Now, however, Okata says he is "hopeful ... but we are still fighting to fund our pay raise."

"We are trying to make it easy for the governor to fund our arbitrated awards," he said.

Also in meetings with Cayetano yesterday was Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, who said she has been meeting with the HGEA in hopes of finding some common ground.

"I think this can be a win-win situation," she said.

She said it was important that the state be able to resolve the HGEA settlement so that it wasn't "fighting on every front."

One possible solution would be for the HGEA to agree to changes in its contract or working conditions in return for a full arbitrated award.

Okata said "everything is on the table," but would not elaborate.

Finally, Davis Yogi, the state's chief negotiator, reported that he was pleased with Tuesday's discussions with teachers and hopes to review a possible proposal from the University of Hawaii to the striking university faculty.

"I would like to meet with UHPA as soon as we can," Yogi said, but added that he still needed the university to tally the contract costs.

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