CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 142

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2015

RE:    H.B. No. 553

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 553, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to allow graduate student assistants employed by the University of Hawaii to collectively bargain by:

     (1)  Establishing collective bargaining unit (15) to consist of graduate student assistants employed by the University of Hawaii;

     (2)  Specifying that graduate student assistants employed by the University of Hawaii and working less than twenty hours per week shall not be excluded from an appropriate bargaining unit; and

     (3)  Requiring the Chief Negotiator of the Office of Collective Bargaining to convene the prospective collective bargaining unit working group to make recommendation to the Legislature regarding collective bargaining unit (15).

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the provisions that would have established collective bargaining unit (15) for graduate student assistants employed by the University of Hawaii;

     (2)  Removing the provisions that would have required the Chief Negotiator of the Office of Collective Bargaining to convene the prospective collective bargaining unit working group;

     (3)  Requiring the University of Hawaii and the relevant exclusive representatives to meet and report to the Legislature;

     (4)  Changing the effective date to upon approval; provided that any negotiated collective bargaining agreement shall not take effect until July 1, 2016; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 553, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 553, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair	____________________________ MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Co-Chair
____________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Co-Chair	____________________________ ISAAC W. CHOY, Co-Chair
____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Co-Chair	____________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Co-Chair