Union says
police pay raise
doesn’t match
mainland

The union says the 15 percent
raise awarded by an arbitration panel
won't keep officers from leaving

By Jaymes K. Song
Star-Bulletin

Police union officials say more of Hawaii's seasoned officers will leave for higher-paying mainland departments following an arbitration panel decision awarding them a 15 percent pay raise over four years.

The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, representing 2,700 officers statewide, had sought a pay raise of 40 percent over four years to match mainland salaries.

"It seems like a lot more officers are looking to leave, that's the general consensus, " said Sgt. Richard Wheeler, SHOPO's Oahu chairman. "A lot of them were just hanging around waiting for (the decision)."

The award provides across-the-board raises totaling 9 percent, with the other 6 percent coming in step increases -- pay hikes based on seniority.

It also provides for a $500 "retention" bonus to be paid late next year.

"Nine percent over two years would have been acceptable," Wheeler said.

The current SHOPO contract ends June 30 and the arbitration award would go into effect July 1.

But officers would not receive the first raise, of 1 percent, until Jan. 1.

Another 1 percent hike would go into effect Oct. 1, 2000. The one-time bonus would also be paid at that time. There would be a 2 percent raise in July 2001 and a 5 percent increase in July 2002.

"Throughout negotiations, SHOPO has remained mindful of the tough economic time facing the employers," said SHOPO Vice President Michael Kahoohanohano. "However, we also believe that the employers cannot allow the exodus of officers to continue until such a time as the public's safety is critically compromised, especially when a manageable solution is within its means."

Wheeler said he's concerned because officers won't get a much of a raise until the last couple years.

"We got a problem here that needs to be fixed," he added. "What happens if we do lose 150 officers this year?"

As of today, 45 Honolulu Police officers have transferred to mainland departments, according to HPD statistics.

A total of 12 additional officers have also retired.

Meanwhile, officers are feeling "betrayed" and "underappreciated" by Mayor Jeremy Harris and the city government, Wheeler said.

The city feels funding the Waikiki War Natatorium and elephant enclosures are more important than police officers, he added.

"Are you going to call an elephant when someone's breaking in your house?" Wheeler said.

The city administration did not return calls this morning, but Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris has said in the past that the city has no money to pay salary increases for the next two years.

And the Legislature this year approved a bill that freezes the pay of all collective bargaining employees at their June 30, 1999, level.

SHOPO officials told members in a state-wide memo that the union intends to go to court if the raises are challenged.

"SHOPO attorneys will, within the next day or so, be filing a motion for court confirmation of the award, which would serve to definitely bind the employers to funding the award," SHOPO officials said.

Kahoohanohano also served as the union's chief negotiator on the three-person arbitration panel headed by Robert Steinberg, a Culver City, Calif., attorney. The other panel member was a representative of the city Department of Human Resources.

The next step is for all the mayors to submit the award to their respective county councils within the next 10 days.