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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, February 22, 2010

HSTA files complaint against Lingle with state labor board


By Loren Moreno
Advertiser Education Writer

The Hawaii State Teachers Association today filed a complaint with the state’s labor board against Gov. Linda Lingle, claiming she “willfully and unlawfully” killed the union’s tentative agreement with the state Board of Education to end furlough days for the school year.

On Dec. 28, the union and state education officials agreed to a plan to cut seven furlough days this year using $35 million from the state's “rainy day” fund. The governor rejected the plan and later came back with one of her own to use $50 million from the rainy day fund to cancel 24 furlough days.
The teachers union said the governor legally did not have the authority to kill the first plan, HSTA is asking the Hawaiçi Labor Relations Board to force the governor to fund their tentative agreement.
Russell Pang, Lingle’s spokesman, said the administration had not seen the complaint and would not comment.