STAND. COM. REP. NO. 163
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2007
RE: H.B. No. 760
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Fourth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2007
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 760 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO A LIVING WAGE FOR WORKERS ON SERVICE CONTRACTS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to protect the wages of service employees working for contractors of the State or counties by:
(1) Reducing the threshold for applicability of service contract worker wage provisions;
(2) Requiring that wages for service contract workers be based on United States poverty guidelines for Hawaii;
(3) Including the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) as an enforcement agency;
(4) Clarifying when the threshold for service contract worker wages is not applicable;
(5) Requiring that any bid specification offered or contract entered into by a governmental body contain certain provisions allowing the organizing of employees; and
(6) Imposing fines on contractors who are found to be in violation of the law.
The ILWU Local 142 and the Oahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii testified in support of this bill. DLIR commented on this measure.
The payment of living wages and benefits not only increases the standard of living for working individuals and families but is also one of the best ways to improve an economy. Your Committee believes that government should lead by example and require contractors doing business with the State or counties to provide living wages to its employees.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 760 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,
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____________________________ ALEX M. SONSON, Chair |
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