UH coaches will continue to be union members

State House Higher Education Chairman Isaac Choy effectively killed a bill that would have removed University of Hawaii athletic coaches from collective bargaining after more than 50 years as union members.

The bill was deferred following a public hearing this week, ending the measure for the current session.

Choy (D-Manoa-Moiliili) cited the interest of UH coaches, one of whom, Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach Dave Shoji, submitted testimony “strongly” opposing the bill.

UH athletic director David Matlin and Manoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman had urged consideration of the bill in joint testimony, which said, “The current process adds an extra party to (contract) negotiation” and that “requires additional time to gain agreement from all parties.”

They also said, “Currently at (UH) we are not in position to compete in base compensation with the highest levels of the NCAA Football Bowl Division (schools). Therefore, our ability to be efficient in negotiating employment agreements is important.”

Officials have said they believe UH is the only school among 126 FBS members whose coaches are union members.

The UH Professional Assembly, state AFL-CIO and Hawaii Government Employees Association, of which UH coaches are members, all opposed the bill. HGEA executive director Randy Perreira said passage of the bill would strip “coaches and assistant coaches of their fundamental rights to bargain.”

In a statement, Perreira said, “With the exception of a few high-profile coaches, the vast majority of coaches and assistant coaches work for a very modest salary and benefits package.”

In the wake of the controversial settlement with former men’s basketball coach Gib Arnold last year, UH said it wanted to seek legislation aimed at removing coaches from collective bargaining.

But Choy said after Tuesday’s hearing, “The whole Gib Arnold thing was malpractice by the UH administration. It had nothing to do with the union.”