Rally ’round
the labor chair

Critics condemn
Sen. Brian Kanno for being
a patsy of the unions

By Richard Borreca
Star-Bulletin

HIS resume is filled with the struggle, hard-work ethic, educational attainment and social concern that mark many of Hawaii's Democratic legislators.

State Sen. Brian Kanno, however, has become a rallying point for businesses and reform groups who say public employee unions have too much clout in government and are killing Hawaii's business climate.

Critics say Kanno, the 36-year old son of a union electrician, uses his position as co-chair of the Senate labor committee to squelch legislation opposed by the Hawaii Government Employees Association and United Public Workers.

Deron Akiona, former director of the Haku Alliance, which seeks to reform business and workers compensation regulations, says that when a bill public employee unions oppose gets to Kanno's committee, "They are able to stop it or water it down so that it is worth nothing. The key they have is they can control Sen. Kanno."

Not true, Kanno says, pointing to a detailed process he coordinated that led to changes in the state's workers compensation coordinated care laws.

"We wanted to do it very carefully," Kanno said. "People wanted it four years ago, but we had to do it carefully."

Kanno went to elementary, intermediate and public high school in Waipahu and then Yale University. He worked for U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Ewa Beach and Waianae, before winning the Ewa Beach-Waipahu Senate seat in 1992.

While business interests see Kanno as a impediment to change, he sees his job as balancing the interests of business and labor.

"We may have differences of opinion, but that is part of job -- to come forward and balance the issues," he said. "In the end, we have passed bills that are good."

Business supporters, especially those in construction, disagree.

Akiona said that Kanno's protests about the need for study and balance aren't really what blocks legislation. The real reason, he said, is that Kanno's position is set.

"I can set up a meeting with Brian, but in my opinion it's a waste of time. He has already made up his mind," Akiona said.

Micah Kane, government liaison for the Building Industry Association, complains that Kanno listens to HGEA and UPW leaders and not to the business community.

"A lot of what is done is done behind closed doors," Kane says.

"It was just very clear when we came out with 100 pieces of testimony (for a bill to encourage privatization). It passed in House. It gets to Kanno's committee, where HGEA and UPW are the only two against it, and it basically dies."

Kanno responded, "The way our legislative process works, bills that have big impact may not have enough study."

Sometimes Kanno is leery of even studying issues the unions fear, critics say.

One example: a bill that would have made major changes to the state's collective bargaining and civil service systems.

The bill was part of the legislative package pushed last session by the House Democratic majority. But by the time it passed the House, the measure had been watered down to mandate only a study instead of actual reforms.

But even that wasn't liked by some unions. The bill never got a hearing in Kanno's committee.

"This is so threatening to some people they don't even want it to be studied in any way," said Rep. Ed Case, one of the main backers of the original bill.

Kanno's critics also point to his relationship to his uncle, UPW labor attorney Herb Takahashi, saying the veteran lawyer is able to guide Kanno's decisions.

"It is a direct connection with the labor community," Kane said. "You can argue how much he (Takahashi) influences, but look at the legislation. A labor attorney view is always present."

Kanno acknowledges that Takahashi has helped him with legislation.

"On occasion I have talked to him -- why wouldn't I? He is a labor law-yer with expertise," Kanno says.

Labor unions also helped with Kanno's political campaigns, but Kanno insists that the real hard work was done by himself.

"I started sign-waving at 5 a.m. and I was out until 11 at night," he says. "I introduced myself to every person eating at Sizzlers and I stood in front of Long's every Sunday morning. That's why people realized I was willing to work hard."

Akiona and Kane, however, say the only way to change is to get someone else heading the Senate committee that deals with labor.

"We want the composition of the Senate changed so that our state will become business friendly," says Robert Armstrong, president of Armstrong Builders.

Saying they represent 4,000 companies and 70,000 employees across the state, Armstrong and the Building Industry Association have formed a Business Action Team to support candidates they say are friendly to business.

But in the primary election, they saw four of their eight candidates defeated: Sen. Malama Solomon, Audrey Hidano, Sen. James Aki and Rep. Terrance Tom, who was running for the Senate.