HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1886

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to public employees.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawaii's collective bargaining in public employment law, chapter 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, was enacted to promote labor management harmony in the public sector by:

     (1)  Establishing guidelines for employment relations relating to wages, hours, and working conditions;

     (2)  Providing a method for dealing with disputes and work stoppages; and

     (3)  Maintaining a favorable political and social environment. 

     The legislature further finds that the policy to promote harmonious and cooperative relations between government and its employees rests on the right of public employees to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining, in accordance with article XIII, section 2, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.

     The legislature also finds that the United States Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case that may conceivably alter the foundations of public sector collective bargaining, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, et. al., U.S. Supreme Court Docket No. 14-915.  The issues in question are whether:

     (1)  Abood v. Detriot Board of Education should be overruled and public-sector "agency shop" arrangements invalidated under the First Amendment; and

     (2)  It violates the First Amendment to require that public employees affirmatively object to subsidizing nonchargeable speech by public-sector unions, rather than requiring that employees affirmatively consent to subsidizing such speech. 

The outcome and disposition of this landmark case could result in huge ramifications on the application and adherence to both chapters 76 and 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     The legislature finds that should the United States Supreme Court strike down laws requiring the payment of union dues by public sector employees, such a ruling would fundamentally undermine this legislature's consistent efforts to ensure labor management peace.  Not only would such a ruling effectively hamstring the collective bargaining representative's ability to collect resources from its membership, it would greatly diminish the public employee's ability to negotiate with management.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to ensure that public employees are able to effectively collectively bargain with the public employer by establishing a mechanism that will provide the exclusive bargaining representative with the resources necessary to adequately represent public employees.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§89-    Public employees' collective bargaining fund.  (a)  There is established in the treasury the public employees' collective bargaining fund into which shall be deposited an amount not less than    per cent of the total compensation provided by the State to every public employee during the previous fiscal year.  The amount shall be deposited not later than the close of business of the first day of each fiscal year.

     (b)  Moneys from the fund shall be disbursed pursuant to a contract between the department of budget and finance and the exclusive bargaining representative.  The amount disbursed to the exclusive bargaining representative shall equal the amount deposited into the fund on the first day of each fiscal year pursuant to subsection (a), multiplied by the number of employees classified in the unit represented by the exclusive bargaining representative, and divided by the total number of public employees at the end of business on June 30 of the previous fiscal year.

     (c)  After disbursements are made to the exclusive bargaining representative for every collective bargaining unit, any remaining balance in the fund shall be transferred to the general fund."

     SECTION 3.  Section 89-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

     "(b)  The legislature declares that it is the public policy of the State to promote harmonious and cooperative relations between government and its employees and to protect the public by assuring effective and orderly operations of government.  These policies are best effectuated by:

     (1)  Recognizing the right of public employees to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining;

     (2)  Requiring public employers to negotiate with and enter into written agreements with exclusive representatives on matters of wages, hours, and other conditions of employment, while, at the same time, maintaining the merit principle pursuant to section 76-1; [and]

     (3)  Enabling exclusive representatives to maintain financial viability, organizational capacity, and the ability to effectively represent public employees; and

    [(3)] (4)  Creating a labor relations board to administer the provisions of chapters 89 and 377."

     SECTION 4.  Section 89-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§89-3  Rights of employees.  Employees shall have the right of self-organization and the right to form, join, or assist any employee organization for the purpose of bargaining collectively through representatives of their own choosing on questions of wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment, and to engage in lawful, concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, free from interference, restraint, or coercion.  An employee shall have the right to refrain from any or all of such activities[, except for having a payroll deduction equivalent to regular dues remitted to an exclusive representative as provided in section 89-4]."

     SECTION 5.  Section 89-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§89-4  Payroll deductions.  (a)  Upon receiving from an exclusive representative a written statement specifying the amount of regular dues required of its members in the appropriate bargaining unit, the employer shall deduct this amount from the payroll of every member employee in the appropriate bargaining unit and remit the amount to the exclusive representative.  Additionally, the employer shall deduct [an amount equivalent to the regular dues] from the payroll of every nonmember employee in the appropriate bargaining unit, and shall remit [the amount] to the exclusive representative[; provided that the deduction from the payroll of every nonmember employee shall be made only for an exclusive representative which provides for a procedure for determining the amount of a refund to any employee who demands the return of any part of the deduction which represents the employee's pro rata share of expenditures made by the exclusive representative for activities of a political and ideological nature unrelated to terms and conditions of employment.  If a nonmember employee objects to the amount to be refunded, the nonmember employee may petition the board for review thereof within fifteen days after notice of the refund has been received.], an amount agreed between the nonmember employee and the exclusive representative.  If an employee organization is no longer the exclusive representative of the appropriate bargaining unit, the deduction from the payroll of members and nonmembers shall terminate.

     (b)  The employer shall, upon written authorization by an employee, executed at any time [after the employee's joining an employee organization], deduct from the payroll of the employee the amount of membership dues, initiation fees, representation fees, group insurance premiums, [and] or other association benefits, and shall remit the amount to the employee organization designated by the employee.

     (c)  The employer shall continue all payroll assignments authorized by an employee prior to July 1, 1970 and all assignments authorized under subsection (b) until notification is submitted by an employee to discontinue the employee's assignments.

     (d)  The exclusive representative may establish dues, rates, or charges to support its activities and other programs it may choose to provide to members.  The exclusive representative may establish rates or charges for services, or other programs it may choose to provide to nonmembers.

     (e)  The public employer shall be entitled to rely on, and shall not be liable for accurately implementing, reports of employees' deductions supplied by the exclusive representative.  Any challenge to rates or charges for services shall be within the exclusive original jurisdiction of the board, as a prohibited practice."

     SECTION 6.  Section 89-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  The employee organization which has been certified by the board as representing the majority of employees in an appropriate bargaining unit shall be the exclusive representative of all employees in the unit.  As exclusive representative, it shall have the right to act for and negotiate agreements covering all employees in the unit and shall be responsible for representing the interests of all such employees without discrimination [and without regard to employee organization membership.], except that it need not represent employees who do not pay reasonable costs of representation.  Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, whenever two or more employee organizations which have been duly certified by the board as the exclusive representatives of employees in bargaining units merge, combine, or amalgamate or enter into an agreement for common administration or operation of their affairs, all rights and duties of such employee organizations as exclusive representatives of employees in such units shall inure to and shall be discharged by the organization resulting from such merger, combination, amalgamation, or agreement, either alone or with such employee organizations.  Election by the employees in the unit involved, and certification by the board of such resulting employee organization shall not be required."

     SECTION 7.  Section 89-3.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.

     ["§89-3.5  Religious exemption from support of employee organization.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any employee who is a member of and adheres to established and traditional tenets or teachings of a bona fide religion, body, or sect which has historically held conscientious objections to joining or financially supporting employee organizations shall not be required to join or financially support any employee organization as a condition of employment; except that an employee may be required in a contract between an employee's employer and employee organization in lieu of periodic dues and initiation fees, to pay sums equal to the dues and initiation fees to a nonreligious, nonlabor organization charitable fund exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, chosen by the employee from a list of at least three funds, designated in the contract or if the contract fails to designate any funds, then to any fund chosen by the employee.  If an employee who holds conscientious objections pursuant to this section requests the employee organization to use the grievance-arbitration procedure on the employee's behalf, the employee organization is authorized to charge the employee for the reasonable cost of using the procedure."]

     SECTION 8.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 9.  This Act shall take effect upon the ratification of an amendment to article XIII of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii that would establish a collective bargaining fund for the representation of public employees in collective bargaining negotiations.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Collective Bargaining; Public Employees

 

Description:

Establishes the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Fund.  Requires the deposit of not less than the amount equal to an undisclosed percentage of the total compensation provided to all public employees during the previous fiscal year.  Amends the rights of public employee elective representation and deductions for nonmembers.  Repeals the religious exemption from support of employee organization.  Takes effect upon ratification of constitutional amendment.

 

 

 

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