STAND. COM. REP. NO. 632

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 874

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 874, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

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

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus; Hawai‘i State Teachers Association; Academic Labor United; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; UNITE HERE Local 5; International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 142; Hawai‘i Workers Center; Democratic Party of Hawaii Labor Caucus; Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Collective Bargaining of the Executive Office of the Governor. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System, Department of the Attorney General, and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that graduate assistants are vital to the University of Hawaii community and enhance the instructional and research capacity of the institution. By allowing graduate assistants to participate in collective bargaining, this measure would provide the potential for greater employment incentives, protections, and stability for graduate assistants and thereby promote higher education.

Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that this measure is a matter of statewide concern pursuant to article X, section 6, of the Hawaii State Constitution.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 874, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 874, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education & Technology,

____________________________

AMY A. PERRUSO, Chair