2010-12-10 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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agreements aside from the terms of the master agreement. That would apply only to our jurisdiction. MR. ARMOUR: So were the wages for each county, let’s say Administrative Assistant, the same wage for every county? Or is each county different? MR. TAKAHASHI: Yes. No, it’s the same. MS. O’HARA: But it could be a range, right? MR. TAKAHASHI: I’m sorry. I’m not sure if I understand your question as far as a range. MS. O’HARA: Aren’t the salaries set for each position at a range? MR. TAKAHASHI: Correct. And primarily where you fall on that range, the employee falls is primarily years of service. As you progress in your years of service, you get what they call step movements that progress further along the range. MS. O’HARA: But you can also be hired in at a range and not come in at the initial step? MR. TAKAHASHI: Yes. There are provisions that allow for that kind of opportunity, yes. MS. O’HARA: I have a simple question. Excuse my ignorance, but the firefighters are under which bargaining agreement? MR. TAKAHASHI: Bargaining Unit 11, Firefighters. MS. O’HARA: And it’s not SHOPO? MR. TAKAHASHI: No, they have their own union, Hawai‘i Firefighters Association. MS. O’HARA: Okay. That was the one I was missing. MR. TAKAHASHI: Okay. Sorry. MR. ARMOUR: So going back to wages, if you have identical employees with identical jobs in Honolulu, Maui, here and Kauai, they would all get the same pay? MR. TAKAHASHI: Primarily yes. MR. ARMOUR: And so there’s nothing like the cost of living being in Honolulu a lot more cost of living than here? MR. TAKAHASHI: No. All those factors are taken into consideration when we do negotiate. But primarily the police officer in Honolulu gets paid the same as the police officer in Hawai‘i County. 5