Hawaii Gov Asks Teachers For Counter-Offer
01/20/2012
Gov. Neil Abercrombie put the ball back in Hawaii teachers' court on Friday.
The Hawaii State Teachers Association on Thursday rejected a collective bargaining agreement with the state by a margin of 2-1. It was the first time in the union's history that the majority of its members voted against a deal recommended by the board of directors.
At a press conference late Friday, Abercrombie said he has sent a letter to HSTA President Wil Okabe asking him to present a counter-proposal from the teachers "as soon as possible." Meanwhile, the "last, best and final" offer the governor imposed on teachers last July will remain in place.
Okabe told Civil Beat in a telephone interview that he appreciates the governor's offer to present a counter proposal, but that first he needs to meet with teachers to learn what went wrong, and that might take a few weeks.
The rejection was a stunning blow to state officials hoping to get Hawaii back in good standing for the state's $75 million federal Race to the Top grant, after feds scolded them for a lack of progress on promised education reforms.
In the agreement were teacher evaluations and a performance-based pay schedule, both critical components to the Race to the Top.
The governor said that he plans to move forward with Race to the Top reforms.
He said he was disappointed that teachers rejected a contract that he believes was negotiated in good faith. He said teachers must have turned it down because they were "not fully aware of the positive aspects of the agreement."
"The tentative agreement was aimed at teacher advancement and student achievement," Abercrombie said. "I cannot think of a single thing we did not do to try to accommodate the concerns of the teachers union in this agreement."
Echoing sentiments he expressed on Hawaii Public Radio on Jan. 6, the governor implied that union officials are to blame for teachers misunderstanding the contract.
"Part of this may be a communication difficulty in the union ranks," Abercrombie said. "We got the unanimous support of the HSTA board of directors, and if they're not in communication with their own members, that's not something I can resolve.
"If you expect the Board of Education, the superintendent and my collective bargaining negotiating team to come to an agreement, you have to send people who have the confidence of the people they say they represent."
