2022-03-10 Merit Appeals Board Minutes

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Merit Appeals Board March 10, 2022 So, the West Hawaii employers—Charlie knows that—and probably Mel and even Gay—in their own capacities when they were hiring. West Hawaii positions were way harder to fill because you have people getting hired by the hotel industry at different salary rates. So, I just kind of want to encourage the employer group to be mindful of all of that because this is a long-standing problem—long-standing. I have a few more comments but I'm going to wait till you finish your report. MR. LEOPOLDINO: Oh, okay. CHR. CABANAS: Then I'll bring it up. MR. LEOPOLDINO: Just a couple of just a story that I heard on the West Hawaii side where business are business owners or even management from hotels are actually dining in restaurants poaching these workers these wait staff say, "Hey, I'm going to—I can offer you $24.00"I mean, it's real. So, yeah, I totally understand and I'm on the same page. But even beyond this conversation, if you folks think of anything that can help me in my discussions with the employer group, feel free to email me or reach out to me so I can have further discussions with them and incorporate some of these great things that you guys are sharing with me. So, thank you. CHR. CABANAS: Waylen, on that note, I'd just like to get our legal counsel because I don't want the Board to violate any Sunshine Laws but if—okay, so this is a good discussion that we're having now. We're providing input to the director on different issues in the director's report. But what would be the proper protocol, J, for us to address or provide input to Waylen. Is it okay to email him individually? MR. YOSHIMOTO: No. CHR. CABANAS: No? Okay, well, I'm glad I asked to protect the Board. MR. YOSHIMOTO: So, yeah—Board business needs to be done in a open meeting of the Board unless it's something that's deemed to be confidential. So, yeah. So, what we're doing now is the perfect forum. CHR. CABANAS: Okay. So MS. MATHEWS: So CHR. CABANAS: Oh, go ahead, Gay. Page 19