UPW members get pay raises
By Rod Thompson
Star-BulletinHILO -- The Hawaii County Council has approved pay raises for United Public Workers members, but only after state secrecy caused delays, county officials charge.
State negotiator Davis Yogi denied that the county was excluded from agreements. The county received notice but chose not to participate, he said.
For Hawaii County workers, the statewide contract means an added $4.3 million in fiscal year 1999-2000. That includes a 10.46 percent pay raise and $2.22 million for 1995-99 when there was no contract.
After pay raises failed last year, new talks were held in May.
Normally, the state and all counties vote, said county attorney Richard Wurdeman. The state has four votes, the counties one each, with five being a majority.
On May 3, the state signed an agreement with Maui. Hawaii County wasn't invited, Wurdeman said: "We found out later."
"The present practice is to find a friendly county, get a fifth vote, and ignore everyone else," he said.
Yogi said after Maui signed, Honolulu signed May 5.
"The legislative deadline prohibited us from flying to the Big Island to get a signature," he said.
But Hawaii County had a chance to sign that week and declined, he said.
Mayor Stephen Yamashiro delayed asking the Council for money while he asked the Hawaii Labor Relations Board about the agreement. It's legal, they said.
Yamashiro said the union refused to give the county a legally required assurance that its members ratified the contract. He got it later from the state.
Finally Yamashiro submitted the pay increase to the council, which approved it 8-1 this week.
