It was Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste’s failure to negotiate that forced leaders of the Hawaii Government Employees Association into binding arbitration regarding pay raises for County of Kaua‘i HGEA employees, the union’s local leader said. “The mayor refused to negotiate,”
It was Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste’s failure to negotiate that forced leaders of the Hawaii Government Employees Association into binding arbitration regarding pay raises for County of Kaua‘i HGEA employees, the union’s local leader said.
“The mayor refused to negotiate,” said Gerald Ako, HGEA Kaua‘i division chief.
“By offering nothing at the table for months, the mayor effectively killed negotiations, and forced us into impasse and into binding arbitration,” Ako said.
“Mayor Bryan Baptiste blames the arbitration process for removing decision-making and fiscal-management control from the employer. He’s blaming the wrong thing,” said Ako, responding to Baptiste’s letter to the County Council urging councilmembers to give careful consideration to ramifications of funding the raises.
“In other words, by not negotiating, the mayor forfeited his ability to control,” Ako said. “As a result, the HGEA contract was settled by the arbitration panel, not the mayor and the union.
“The mayor didn’t like the decision, but not wanting the public to know that he brought it on himself, he blamed the process,” Ako pointed out.
“Monday-morning quarterbacking cannot hide the fact that the mayor had a chance to play at the table,” Ako said.
“The decision has been made, and the mayor should respect it.”
During negotiations, the county offered no pay raises, while the HGEA sought an 8 percent increase for two years retroactive to July 1, 2003, when the previous contract expired.
An arbitration panel granted no raise for the first year, and 5 percent for the second, plus step increases and additional sick- and vacation-leave time for HGEA members on Kaua‘i in both county and state positions.
Baptiste’s administration opposed the arbitration award, as did leaders of every county but Maui (Gov. Linda Lingle also opposed the award, urging state lawmakers not to fund the HGEA raises).
Ako said he has been given assurances by Council Chair Bill “Kaipo” Asing that there is money for the raises, and that they will be funded in the council’s version of the county budget.
The council is poring over Baptiste’s proposed operating and capital improvement budgets now.
“During negotiations, the mayor decides what to offer and how far to negotiate,” Ako said. “He has control over his side. The same goes for the union.
“Both sides have the power and opportunity to iron out their differences,” Ako continued. “That’s called ‘good-faith negotiations.’ In other words, by not negotiating, the mayor forfeited his ability to control.”
