STAND. COM. REP. NO. 624

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1368

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor, Culture and the Arts and Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1368 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a collective bargaining unit for graduate student assistants employed by the University of Hawaii.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaii State Teachers Association; Democratic Party of Hawaii Labor Caucus; ILWU Local 142; Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus; O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Kamehameha Schools Faculty Association; Young Progressives Demanding Action; and five individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System and one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that graduate student assistants perform a variety of teaching and research functions that are necessary and vital to the overall strength and accomplishments of a successful university. At research universities, such as the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, graduate student assistants are in the trenches, collaborating on research with faculty members that often leads to innovative ideas.

Your Committees further find that graduate student assistants receive tuition waivers and stipends as compensation, but budget shortfalls have increased class size and workload, which has increased the burden on the University of Hawaii's graduate student assistants. Graduate student assistants at the University of Hawai‘i are not currently authorized to organize to advocate for their own employment rights. This measure will allow graduate student assistants to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining so that they may negotiate for fair salaries, benefits, and rights.

Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2051, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor, Culture and the Arts and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1368, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1368, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor, Culture and the Arts and Higher Education,

________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair

________________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair