HGEA Ratification Results Expected Tonight

By Wendy Osher

Vantage from the State Building on Maui. Photo by Wendy Osher.

The state’s largest labor union is expected to announce ratification voting results tonight on a tentative contract.  Members of the Hawaii Government Employees Association have been voting on the document in meetings that began on April 18th and conclude today.

Gov. Abercrombie said the agreement would end the two-day-per-month furloughs in the current contract. He said the deal would also save the state $124 million over two years.

Under the agreement, there would be an equal 50/50 contribution from the government and public employees for public workers’ health benefits.  The tentative contract also calls for a 5 percent reduction in base pay for public employees without furlough days or layoffs.

The HGEA represents state and county employees in seven bargaining units. This includes:

• Unit 2, blue-collar supervisory employees: 796 employees
• Unit 3, white-collar non-supervisory employees: 14,096 employees
• Unit 4, white-collar supervisory employees: 817 employees
• Unit 6, educational officers: 800 employees
• Unit 8, administrative, professional and technical University of Hawaii employees: 2,127 employees
• Unit 9, registered professional nurses: 1,561 employees
• Unit 13, professional and scientific employees: 7,927 employees

HGEA also serves a large associate membership composed primarily of retirees, other state and county employees and officials, and federal and private sector employees.