The Hawaii Supreme Court has shot down the teachers union’s petition to force the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to rule on its case regarding the state unilaterally imposing its “last, best, final” contract offer in July 2011.

In its decision Wednesday, the court said the board must be “prompt” in ruling on the case but doesn’t define the term. There is no law setting a deadline for the board to rule.

HSTA President Wil Okabe said this week that the teachers union is discussing possible legislation for next session that could give the board a set number of days to rule on a case. 

The governor-appointed board can effectively prevent the union from striking so long as the case is pending before it. 

The board has a huge pile of documents to consider in its ruling. Both sides wrapped up their case before the board in May, submitting final findings of fact in June. So the board has had all it needs to decide the case for six months now.

The court in October directed the board to explain the hold-up. But the board just said the law lets it take as long as it needs to consider the documents and issue a decision.

Meantime, the teachers union and state seem to be inching closer to a deal to resolve the almost two-year labor dispute. 

The two sides said they were making progress until earlier this week when contract talks dissolved in large part over the teacher evaluation component. 

However, Board of Education member Jim Williams issued a news release saying the latest offer is still on the bargaining table despite Okabe saying the state had withdrawn it.

Click here to read what Williams had to say today.