The governor is clarifying his offer to head into mediation with Hawaii’s public teachers union.
Governor Abercrombie recently told a retired teacher on the Big Island that he’d be open to mediation with the Hawaii State Teacher’s Association.
The exchange posted on Youtube prompted the HSTA Board to vote to accept mediation/binding arbitration.
The Governor, Schools Superintendent Kathy Matayoshi, and Board of Education Chairman Don Horner issued a statement Monday saying, "The HSTA filed its complaint with the Hawai’i Labor Relations Board (HLRB) and we respect that process. We continue to be open to mediation through HLRB."
The state says it had offered mediation separate from the labor relations complaint before implementing its "last, best, final" contract offcer, but that offer was rejected by HSTA.
It also says arbitration is not an option under Hawai’i's statutory collective bargaining process with the HSTA.
See the original article at: KHON2 Developing Stories
