SOME 61 PERCENT OF TEACHERS OK A NEW TWO-YEAR CONTRACT

Concerns over mandatory drug testing did not prevent teachers from
approving a new contract yesterday that gives them 4 percent raises in
each of the next two school years.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association said 5,176 teachers (61.3
percent) voted for the contract, compared with 3,228 (38.2 percent)
who opposed it. Ballots for 45 teachers, or 0.5 percent, were voided.

Most of 13,404 eligible teachers cast their ballots at polls last
week. But the results were too close to call, and the union had to
tally 1,200 absentee ballots yesterday.

Union officials attributed the split in votes to a controversial
drug-testing clause in the contract. The last contract was backed by
93 percent of teachers two years ago.

The new contract will pay an entry-level teacher with a bachelor's
degree $43,157, up from $39,901, and increase the top teacher salary
to $79,170 from $73,197.

It also will require officials to start a reasonable-suspicion and
random drug and alcohol testing program by June 30, 2008.