REPUBLICANS OPPOSE WORKER ISSUES

The 2005 Legislature passed a number of good bills that bring real and substantial benefit to working families.

What were these bills about?

Protecting the Workers' Compensation Law. The Lingle Administration approved new rules that would change the law by formalizing the process and making it harder for physicians to treat injured workers. S.B. 1808 will prohibit new rules to be implemented until 2007.

Increasing the Minimum Wage. S.B. 294 will increase the minimum wage from the current $6.25 to $6.75 in 2006 and $7.25 in 2007 without an increase in the tip credit.

Allowing the use of Sick Leave for Family Leave purposes. H.B. 325 clarifies the Legislature's intent in passing Act 44 in 2003 to require employers with 100 or more employees to allow use of up to 10 days of sick leave to care for a seriously ill family member.

Providing workers with a 30-minute Meal Break. Under S.B. 55, employers must provide a 30-minute meal break to employees who work more than five hours, unless they get an exemption or their employees waive their right to a break.

Requiring stores to post a sign to identify Previously Frozen and Thawed Baked Goods. H.B. 332 will educate consumers about which products are baked fresh and which are previously frozen and should help local industry.

Disclosing information about employers whose employees are on Public Medical Assistance. Known by some as the "Wal-Mart" bill because of Wal-Mart's practice in other states to refer employees to public agencies for medical assistance rather than offer coverage through the company, S.B. 1772 will require the Department of Human Services to identify employers whose employees and dependents are using public resources for medical coverage.

Very bad on worker issues

The Lingle Administration opposed all six bills and may veto some of them (she has until the end of June 2005 to notify the Legislature of an intent to veto). Lingle scores a zero on workers' issues. Following the party line set by Governor Lingle, Republicans in the House and Senate also voted against working people.

In the Senate, Sam Slom (District 8 - East Oahu) and Bob Hogue (District 24) had the worst record, voting against all six bills. The remaining three Republicans--Fred Hemmings (District 25), Gordon Trimble (District 12), and Paul Whalen (District 3) voted against five of the six bills. The average score for Senate Republicans was a very low 10% in support of worker issues and 90% against workers.

In the House of Representatives, Colleen Meyer (District 47) had the worst record of the Republicans, voting against working families on all bills. Mark Moses (District 40), Kymberly Pine (District 43), Bud Stonebraker (District 17), and Lynn Finnegan (District 32) voted against workers four times.

Corinne Ching (District 27), Galen Fox (District 23), Cynthia Thielen (District 50), and Barbara Marumoto (District 19) voted against three of the worker issues. Chris Halford (District 11) voted against two labor bills. Halford is the only Republican endorsed by the ILWU.

The average Republican score in the House was a low 40 percent for working people.

Good on worker issues

On the other hand, Democrats in the House and Senate sided most often with working people. The forty-two Democratic members of the House had a 99% score in favor of working people. There was only one vote cast against the six issues important to union members. Cindy Evans (District 7) voted against the Meal Break bill with Jon Karamatsu, Alex Sonson, and Kyle Yamashita voting "yes" with reservations. The Senate had a 97% vote in favor of working people. David Ige (District 17) voted against minimum wage and family leave and Norman Sakamoto (District 15) voted against family leave and meal breaks.