HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0582.023 1996-1998 C RUSSELL K. OKA7A
Vorktng TogetherJor Xawatt exeeunve maecroa
P. O. Box 2930 • Hoool ulu, Hawaii 96802.2930• Tel (808) 543~OOll • Faz (808) 528-0922
December 16, 1997~~ ~ ~ ' ~ ~ ,
To the Chairperson and Members
of the Hawaii County Council
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Lady and Gentlemen:
The Hawaii Government Employees Association strongly supports Resolution No. 185-97
which funds cost items for Bargaining Unit 03, white collar workers, and Bargaining Unit 04,
white collar supervisors, including the affected excluded employees, for the contract period
July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1999.
On behalf of our 39,829 members which include 5,290 members on the island of Hawaii and
their families, we encourage your approval for the following reasons:
1. The Hawaii County Council, the State of Hawaii Legislature, and the three other county
councils previously approved the Bargaining Unit 11 cost items for the employees
represented by the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association for the contract period July 1, 1997
through June 30, 1999. The public employers and the firefighters voluntarily settled this
two-year collective bargaining contract which provides the employees a 5.06% pay
increase.
2. The Hawaii County Council has already approved the current fiscal year's budget which
includes funding of pay raises for all of its employees based on the firefighters pay
increase of 5.06%.
3. The public employers and HGEA/AFSCME, after months of negotiations, mutually
settled the contracts for employees in Bargaining Units 03 and 04 for the contract period
effective July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1999. Both agreements were ratified by
overwhelming margins by the employees at their respective ratification meetings.
The clerical and technical employees in Bargaining Units 03 and 04 are the backbone of
government services. In addition to the clerical and technical employees, the bargaining
units include:
• Deputy sheriffs, conservation officers and lifeguards who risk life and limb in
performing their jobs. 5g 2 ~ 23~
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To the Chairperson and Members
of the Hawaii County Council
December 16, 1997
Page 2
• 911 operators, safety inspectors, school security attendants, education assistants and
health aides, and hospital and sanitation facility workers who perform services
essential to the health and safety of the general public and the clientele they service.
• Employees who record deeds and titles, and process building and construction plans
and permits which help to improve the economic climate of the State and counties.
4. Earlier the public school teachers and the University of Hawaii faculty voluntarily settled
with the State of Hawaii on their four-year contracts (July 1, 1995 through June 30,
1999) and the cost items were approved by the Legislature.
5. HGEA/AFSCME and the State of Hawaii also voluntarily settled two-year contracts
(July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1999) for the educational officers of Unit 06 and the
University of Hawaii administrative, professional and technical employees in Unit 08.
The approval of the cost items for these contracts are pending before the 1998
Legislature.
6. HGEA/AFSCME and the public employers reached settlement or are close to settlement
on the following two-year contracts (July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1999) which will
provide for 5.06% pay increases.
• Unit 02 -Blue Collar Supervisors (State and county employees; ratified)
• Unit 09 -Registered Professional Nurses (State and City & County of Honolulu
employees)
• Unit 13 -Professional and Scientific Employees (State and county employees)
7. The four county councils must also approve or disapprove the cost items for the two-year
contract (July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1999) for the police officers in Bargaining Unit
12 represented by State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers. This contract was
settled through final and binding arbitration and provides fora 5.06% pay increase.
We also ask that you consider approving the contract cost items for the following reasons:
1. Pay increases will be enjoyed by the firefighters, the teachers, and UH faculty members
since the appropriate legislative bodies earlier approved the cost items in their respective
contracts which will expire on June 30, 1999.
2. We anticipate that the Legislature will also approve the cost items for the contracts
(July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1999) affecting the DOE educational officers, UH
administrative, professional and technical employees, and registered professional nurses
To the Chairperson and Members
of the Hawaii County Council
December 16, 1997
Page 3
since the Legislature previously approved the cost items for the firefighters, teachers, and
faculty.
3. We further anticipate that the City and County of Honolulu Council will approve the
5.06% pay increase for the registered professional nurses since the Council has already
approved the cost items for the Units 03, 04 and 11 employees.
4. The 5.06% pay increases for employees in the following bargaining units are in jeopardy
should the Hawaii County Council disapprove funding of the contracts effective from
July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1999:
• Unit 03 -White Collar Workers (HGEA),
• Unit 04 -White Collar Supervisors (HGEA),
• Unit 02 -Blue Collar Supervisors (HGEA),
• Unit 13 -Professional and Technical Employees (HGEA), and
• Unit 12 -Police Officers (SHOPO).
We therefore strongly urge the Hawaii County Council to approve the cost items in the
contracts for employees in Units 03 and 04 to assure a uniform pay raise of 5.06% for these
employees for the contract period July 1, 1997 to June 30, 1999. The funding for these pay
increases are available in the current Hawaii County budget.
Mahalo a nui loa.
Re~ctfully submitted,
Russell . Okata