News

Your bargaining unit negotiating teams assisted by HGEA staff have started a new round of negotiations for all HGEA bargaining units which include Units 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 13 and 14. The current situation is unusual as all 14 public sector bargaining units in Hawaii have contracts that expire at the same time, June 30, 2017.
 
So far, all eight HGEA bargaining units have exchanged proposals with the employer and are negotiating contracts that will go into effect on July 1, 2017. To date, the employers have not offered any salary increase for the next contract period despite a good economic forecast.
 
On the State side, Gov. David Ige's administration is pushing an aggressive plan that would divert revenue to more quickly pay down unfunded liabilities in the pension and health care funds. He also wants to increase the State's rainy day fund to 10% of general fund revenue.
 
HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira was quoted in an Oct. 9, Honolulu Star-Advertiser article about the increase to the rainy day fund:
 
“This governor’s administration so far has been very, very conservative, to the point where every cent, it seems, that is available is either going toward an unfunded liability, or now toward the reserves,” he said.
 
“The growing concern that we have is that there are so many needs in the community that could be met when government has the resources as it does today, but they’re not being met.”
 
“That’s where this administration has got to find a balance between trying to be what they view as fiscally responsible, versus prudent use of resources to help people today who are in need, and there are a lot of needs,” Perreira said.
 
Please visit your member dashboard for a summary of your unit's initial proposals.
 
Updates will be provided via eBulletin as they become available.