Bill > HB162

This bill modifies Hawaii's collective bargaining law by updating the arbitration process for resolving labor disputes in various public sector bargaining units, including those representing supervisory and non-supervisory employees, educational officers, university personnel, nurses, law enforcement, and other state and county workers. Specifically, the bill clarifies the process for selecting a neutral third arbitrator when the parties cannot agree, allowing the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to request a list of five qualified interest arbitrators from either the American Arbitration Association (AAA) or the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). The bill provides that this list can include arbitrators from both organizations, expanding the pool of potential neutral arbitrators. Additionally, the bill makes minor technical changes to the language describing the arbitration process, such as clarifying that arbitrators should encourage mediation throughout the arbitration period and ensuring that only proposals previously discussed during collective bargaining can be considered in the final arbitration decision. The changes aim to provide more flexibility and clarity in the dispute resolution process for public sector labor negotiations.

Budget and Finance, Justice, Labor and Employment

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=162&year=2025