STAND. COM. REP. NO. 425

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1614

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor and Technology and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1614 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:

(1) Retain institutional, health, and correctional workers except for adult corrections officers of the Department of Public Safety Corrections Division or its successor agency of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation under bargaining unit (10); and

(2) Create a separate bargaining unit (16) for adult corrections officers of the Department of Public Safety Corrections Division or its successor agency.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO and five individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Public Safety and Office of Collective Bargaining. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that adult corrections officers perform a valuable role in the field of public safety to protect the public and support the State's correctional facilities. While employees within the Department of Public Safety correctional facilities perform a variety of roles crucial to daily operations, adult corrections officers have a unique role. Adult corrections officers perform different responsibilities from their counterparts in institutional, health, or other roles suited to bargaining unit (10). Creating a separate bargaining unit (16) will allow the unique concerns and needs of adult corrections officers to be heard.

Your Committees note the testimony of the Office of Collective Bargaining expressing concerns that separating adult corrections officers from bargaining unit (10) may not be necessary as the current collective bargaining agreement addresses changes to wages, hours, and other conditions of work. Additionally, section 61 of the bargaining unit (10) agreement was specifically negotiated for adult and youth correction officers and juvenile detention employees to include work schedules that allow for selection of workdays, days off, and shift selection.

Your Committees additionally note that the Department of Budget and Finance raised concerns regarding the addition of new bargaining units and that such action will create increased administrative costs, administration, negotiation, arbitration, and management.

Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor and Technology and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1614, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1614, 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 and Technology and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair