STAND. COM. REP. NO. 28-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1640

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 1640 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require an employer to initiate negotiations on repricing of classes within a bargaining unit within thirty days of its receipt of the exclusive representative's written request to negotiate; and

(2) Establish that an employer's failure to initiate the negotiation within such time frame and the parties' failure to reach an agreement within ninety days of the exclusive representative's written request to negotiate or by January 31 of a year in which the collective bargaining agreement is due to expire, whichever is earlier, constitutes an impasse to which impasse procedures under existing law shall apply.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; and Hawaiʻi Association of School Psychologists. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Human Resources of the City and County of Honolulu; and Department of Human Resources of the County of Hawaiʻi. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Department of Human Resources of the County of Kauaʻi.

Your Committee finds that having a reasonable timetable to negotiate repricing of classes within a bargaining unit will help to ensure that public employees are being paid competitive and fair wages. This measure will ensure that wages for public employees are competitive in the current labor market, helping to address any outstanding vacancies and prevent high turnover for these positions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that impasse procedures shall not apply if the impasse occurs within one hundred eighty days after a collective bargaining agreement has been reached between the employer and the exclusive representative of the bargaining unit; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 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. 1640, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1640, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair