STAND. COM. REP. NO. 635

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1398

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 1398 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a new bargaining unit for telecommunications and emergency dispatchers and employees who perform similar functions employed by the State and counties.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Defense; Office of the Mayor of the County of Maui; two members of the Maui County Council; Honolulu Police Department; Maui Police Department; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and nineteen individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Collective Bargaining of the Executive Office of the Governor and Department of Human Resources of the City and County of Honolulu. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that telecommunications and emergency dispatchers play a vital role in partnering with their in-the-field first responder colleagues, including police, fire fighters, emergency medical services personnel, and other public safety personnel, under working conditions that involve a high level of stress and the need for rapid decision-making. This measure will allow these individuals to collectively bargain and be recognized for the important and specialized functions they perform daily.

Your Committee expresses concern, however, that many new bargaining units are being proposed this legislative session, with no clear objective standard as to why one group of workers and not another should get their own bargaining unit. Unless a reasonable objective standard can be set, your Committee is concerned that continuing to create new bargaining units will have negative unintended consequences on state workers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1398, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1398, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Government Operations,

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair