Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
When politicians attack: The U.S. Senate campaign
For decades, political party shakers have ignored Hawaii as being boringly blue. That has changed, more than a year before next year’s election, as Democrats and Republicans sharpen their knives to use against the opposition in the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka.
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Matt Canter calls former governor and probable senator-wannabe Linda Lingle "hyper-partisan" for her nomination speech in 2008 for Sarah Palin as vice president and "a huge disappointment as governor." Meanwhile, Hawaii GOP Chairman Jonah Kaauwai calls U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono "so weak, flawed and uninspiring" that the Democratic establishment attacks her primary opposition, referring to former U.S. Rep. Ed Case.
A long campaign ahead is a given.
Looking warily at the ‘last, best, final offer’ concept
The core of the conflict is between the Abercrombie administration and the Hawaii State Teachers Association, but it’s all public workers unions that need to keep watch over the HSTA complaint now before the Hawaii Labor Relations Board.
The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly took the lead last week by filing to intervene in the case. That, said union chief J.N. Musto, means getting clarity about "whether and how an employer may unilaterally implement a last, best, final offer" as the governor did with HSTA.
Musto earlier told the Star-Advertiser he’s worried that if this option can be exercised unexpectedly, it takes the power out of collective bargaining. At minimum, governing rules are needed, and the other unions owe Musto some thanks for pursuing the issue.