Labor

SB535SD1HD2 would make it illegal for any Hawaii family to fire or otherwise change the employment status of nannies, babysitters, caretakers, and other domestic workers....

 ...The USW expects a response from the governor....

The average wage when adding in tips for the front of the house is $24.24 per hour....

The parties are negotiating a 2013-15 contract....

Do you think of teenagers flipping burgers? Or a single parent trying to feed several kids?

If the minimum wage does rise, where do our elected officials think businesses will get the money to pay the higher wages?

Transcript of letter from State employees attacked by Rep Faye Hanohano....

Between 2011 and 2012 Hawaii jumped from 44th to 1st in “Work Environment” but fell from 4th to 14th  in “Basic Access"....

...higher minimum wage is unlikely to accomplish the stated goal of raising the living standards of the working poor....

...look at the issue from an economic and financial well-being stand point instead of the emotional and social welfare perspective....

Making them grovel over less than a 2% increase (when health care costs are factored in), while at the same time proposing an expensive new preschool program is breathtakingly insulting....

In 2004, Nopphon Fuchumpa was promised a great opportunity in the United States.... 

The House Minority Caucus urged caution today as two bills to increase the minimum wage to 120 percent its current level passed the Labor & Public Employment and Economic Development & Business committees....

Instead of cutting taxes on the poor, Abercrombie proposes to extract more taxes from them by hiking the minimum wage.

In its proposal, HSTA seeks to:

• Increase teachers’ base pay by 48.1 percent over the next four years,
• Delay implementation of the new Educator Effectiveness System,
• Gain veto power over development of each step of the system.

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...there is much more that can be done to help ensure that new teachers are “classroom ready.” ...

Given the nature of negotiations, the proposal HSTA took to the table is a starting point and is subject to change....

All Hawaii public school principals will receive enhanced supports and evaluations beginning in the 2013-14 school year under an agreement between the Hawaii State Department of Education (DOE) and the Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA)....

“The State informed HSTA that there will be a formal response made at our next bargaining session on January 22."

Approximately four years ago, the Hawaii State Legislature commissioned Stroudwater Associates to evaluate our Hawaii Health System Safety Net Hospitals....

...if every union were to get the same raises and benefits, it would cost the state an extra $1.4 billion beyond the budget....

"Our intent is to work with the DOE to create a successful Educator Effectiveness System that could lend itself to being a model, nationwide.”

"Tesoro does not know what potential buyers might ask of state of Hawaii or federal officials."

We are also cognizant of related 2011 - 13 contract disputes being undertaken by other Hawaii public employee unions, including several ongoing arbitrations....

The managers who made this year’s list of America’s Worst Bosses were named in workplace lawsuits filed by their employees ....

Rankings were determined by responses from about 700,000 federal workers from various agencies in the government....

Former Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) President Jim Williams yesterday sent a letter to current HSTA President Wil Okabe asking for clarification on Mr. Okabe’s recent public statements on negotiations....

...The Court’s ruling this morning confirms that the HLRB's determination of when and how to issue a ruling in this case remains in its discretion....

In November, Michigan voters rejected a ballot proposal that would have amended the state constitution to prevent the legislature from passing a right-to-work law and elevated union contracts above state law....It lost by 15 points.

... an advisory committee, including HSTA representatives, to review the new teacher evaluation system ....

“Yesterday, HSTA and the State resumed negotiations. While this is only our second bargaining session, talks were the most productive in months.”

“This argument over what is covered by the contract and what isn’t, is a distraction and a deflection from the real issue - the fact that teachers have been disrespected by the governor.” -- Wil Okabe, HSTA President

If no one is watching, what’s going to happen next will affect the future of public education in Hawaii.... 

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This timely study represents the most comprehensive analysis of American teacher unions’ strength ever conducted....

Oahu lost 4% of its construction jobs while the sister isles gained 27% more constrction jobs.

Hanabusa said she doesn't condone the practice, but will gladly continue to accept all the money and political help that comes from it.

Pro-Rail Pacific Resources Partnership today released its first anti-Cayetano ad for the General Election season....

Democratic FEC commissioners argued that UPW did in fact coerce “employees to participate in the union’s political activities” in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971....

HSTA President Wil Okabe today released the audio of an August 14 voice mail message from Gov Neil Abercrombie....

As Rail construction continues, Honolulu construction employments continues to drop, losing 1,300 jobs between June, 2011 and June, 2012....