HONOLULU — Gov. Linda Lingle says a new contract with Hawaii’s largest state employee union is being held up in part because none of the state’s four island mayors has signed on.

A deal between the state and the Hawaii Government Employees Association remains close, but state law requires at least one mayor to agree to a new contract before union members can vote on it.
Lingle wouldn’t discuss details of the contract, such as how many furlough days it would include for about 30,000 mostly white-collar state workers.
She says issues involving the counties that have nothing to do with the state are complicating the whole process.
Lingle also said negotiators aren’t close to a deal with United Public Workers, and the parties will likely go to binding arbitration.