No dice on the Senate side, but the House is keeping hope alive for teachers who want state lawmakers to force the Hawaii labor board to rule on its collective bargaining case.

The Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee, chaired by Sen. Clayton Hee, deferred Senate Bill 1248 today after received testimony from state agencies and other unions opposing it for substantive and technical reasons.

Companion legislation is still surviving in the House, but no hearings have been scheduled yet.

that the union plans to have its attorneys look into the issue.

“We’re very disappointed that the senate decided to defer that bill that deals with the constitutionality of working people,” Hawaii State Teachers Association President Wil Okabe said Friday. “They might not understand what teachers are going through with regards to this particular contract issue.”

HSTA wants lawmakers to pass a bill that would force the labor board to resolve complaints within 30 days, or else the complainant automatically wins.

Teachers can’t strike until the labor board rules on its case. The final hearing was held almost nine months ago, but the board has yet to make a decision.

HSTA filed a complaint with the board in July 2011 after Gov. Neil Abercrombie imposed the state’s “last, best, final offer.” 

Okabe said the union plans to have its attorneys look into the issue.

Read more about the issue here.

— Nathan Eagle