University of Hawaii graduate assistants could have the option to unionize under legislation moving through the state Legislature.
University of Hawaii graduate assistants could have the option to unionize under legislation moving through the state Legislature.
Senate Bill 406, introduced by Sen. Kai Kahele, D-Hilo, and companion House Bill 1277, introduced by Rep. Justin Woodson, D-Maui, would allow graduate student assistants employed by UH to collectively bargain.
House Resolution 18, introduced by Rep. Joy San Buenaventura, D-Puna, and House Concurrent Resolution 39 would call for a confidential vote among UH graduate assistants to see whether the majority of them want to become unionized employees.
The vote would be conducted with assistance from the Hawaii Labor Relations Board, which normally would oversee a vote among private sector employees wanting to unionize. San Buenaventura said her resolution is meant to give applicable grad students the option to choose.
According to UH, 14 of 1,209 grad assistants systemwide are at based at UH-Hilo. Among them is Nicole Fernandez, a student assistant in the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Program.
Fernandez said she’d be in favor of unionizing because she likes the idea of “having someone speak on our behalf and for our employment.”
“For a lot of graduate students, having a job outside school is really difficult,” she said. “Our main focus is thesis work, and that takes up a lot of our time. Having a job (within the program is a way to) alleviate some of the expenses we have to pay like rent and health insurance.”
UH opposes the concept altogether, however, stating in testimony about the bills that operational expenses would increase if graduate assistants unionized and “the lines between students and employees” would blur.
“First and foremost, graduate student assistants are students first and employees second,” the university’s testimony reads.
As of Monday, HB 1277 had cleared a second reading by the House committees on Higher Education and Labor and Public Employment. It was awaiting a hearing by the Committee on Finance. SB 406 was awaiting a second reading by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.
Both House resolutions were offered and referred to committees Monday, but no hearings were scheduled.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.