Joint Statement of the Hawaii State Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association

News Release from HSTA March 6, 2013

On Monday, the Department of Education received a written request from the Hawaii State Teachers Association to engage in mediation to assist the parties in reaching an agreement regarding the teachers’ contract.  Together with the Governor and the Board of Education representatives, the Department of Education agreed and responded affirmatively to HSTA. 

The next step is for the Hawaii Labor Relations Board (HLRB) to approve the mediation, as required by law, and the parties have requested approval from HLRB.

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SA: State, HSTA agree to mediation for teacher contract talks

The Hawaii Labor Relations Board approved the request today, according to HSTA President Wil Okabe.

Teachers have been working under a “last, best and final offer” that the state imposed in July 2011. It expires June 30.

The parties are negotiating a 2013-15 contract.

Under the state’s collective bargaining law, a statutory impasse is declared by Feb. 1 of a year in which an existing contract is set to expire.

A provision of that law allows the parties to choose to enter into mediation, subject to approval by the Labor Relations Board.