I’ve been curious about the current Hawaii State Teachers Association/state collective bargaining situation for some time, probably because I have some collective bargaining awareness and knowledge from throughout my career.

In following the news coverage, parts of it have concerned me. In particular, Star-Advertiser reporter Mary Vorsino’s article of Aug. 26 (“State played tough guy in talks, HSTA says”) contained the following: “In response to (Labor Board Chairman Jim) Nicholson’s questions about why union negotiators felt compelled to sign a tentative deal April 27, (HSTA attorney Herb) Takahashi said HSTA’s negotiating team is made up of mostly teachers, not practiced labor experts.”

I don’t accept “not practiced labor experts” justifying the HSTA negotiating team’s temerity.

HSTA is the first and only union pursuant to Hawaii’s public-sector bargaining law to represent Hawaii’s public school teachers’ bargaining unit. HSTA has had this responsibility since about 1972. I believe HSTA has negotiated and had ratified the two-year contracts since about 1975. Doesn’t this mean HSTA, with a negotiating committee per contract, has negotiated for more than 36 years — more than 17 ratified contracts?

In turn, shouldn’t HSTA have within its teacher and staff ranks, both retired and active, individuals experienced with negotiations? Further, shouldn’t HSTA’s present negotiating team have had access to these former negotiating teams to kokua them?

Also, isn’t HSTA affiliated with the National Education Association? Did HSTA ask for any NEA help?

Further, I’m sure there are others from whom HSTA could have elicited kokua, such as Joan Husted, Charles Toguchi, Al Hamai, John Radcliffe and Odetta Fujimori. If not, why not?

Could it be HSTA’s leadership is trying to litigate a teacher’s contract instead of hammering it out at the bargaining table? Look at the recent HSTA actions since June 21:

>> Filed a prohibited practices violation with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board.

>> Filed with the state Supreme Court to restore pre-July 1 contract terms.

The last far-out thought is perhaps HSTA is seeking a political outcome as a prelude to it ratifying the “last, best and final offer.” Maybe HSTA is getting ready to politically negotiate a non-bargainable item; e.g., the public-employee health plan. If the state administration and Legislature agree, then HSTA would ratify the state’s “last, best and final offer.”

Outlandish? I hope so. But isn’t HSTA trying to have Gov. Neil Abercrombie and legislative leaders subpoenaed to testify before HLRB?

An advantage of being age 72 is to ponder, so as to transcend “what is” into “what might be.” Or, using the song title from “The King and I”: “Is a puzzlement.”