The Hawaii State Teachers Association board has voted to accept mediation and binding arbitration in hopes of ending a contract dispute more than a month long.

HSTA informed the governor Saturday of its vote, saying that it understood the acceptance of binding arbitration "may result in an agreement which neither side finds completely satisfactory."

HSTA President Wil Okabe said the vote was taken in response to comments that Gov. Neil Abercrombie made last week when speaking to a retired HSTA member on Hawaii island.

During the 11-minute conversation, which was captured on video and posted on YouTube, the governor said he was "ready today … (for) mediation or whatever it is."

The member told Abercrombie, "Let’s get back to the table," to which the governor responded, "I’m ready."

The governor’s spokeswoman, Donalyn Dela Cruz, said there have been no formal discussions between the governor’s office and the union regarding mediation or arbitration.

"However, the governor has always sought for a resolution. I think the governor would be open to having that discussion," Dela Cruz said.

She added, "We are waiting for them to make some kind of an offer. It’s too premature to say what the governor would agree to."

In a letter to the governor Saturday, Okabe wrote, "We are grateful for your offer to settle our differences through a third party. Please let us know when we can meet this week."

The state and teachers union have been embroiled in a contract dispute since July 1, when the state implemented its "last, best and final" offer for teachers that included a decrease in pay, furloughs and increased health care premiums.

Abercrombie and schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi have said the labor savings were needed to avoid layoffs or cuts in class time.

But the union argues that the state violated members’ rights and the state Constitution when it imposed a contract.

HSTA has filed a complaint with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board, while also calling for negotiations to resume.