Union leaders are urging about 3,200 University of Hawaii professors and instructors to reject the administration's latest pay cut offer.

The proposal, dubbed by the UH administration its “;last, best and final offer,”; would cut 5 percent from salaries, institute a payroll lag reducing the number of annual paychecks from 24 to 23 and increase the employee's share of medical insurance costs.

UH faculty just completed a labor contract that saw pay raises of 7 percent in 2007 and 11 percent in 2008. Although the contract has expired, it remains in force as long as the union and the state are bargaining for a new contract.

Duane Stevens, University of Hawaii Professional Assembly president, said in a posting on the UHPA Web site yesterday that the union feels UH “;is no longer willing to seek compromise.”;

“;The employer is telling union members either to accept this offer or have it unilaterally imposed upon them,”; Stevens wrote.

UH officials said the union's recommendation was “;disappointing.”;

“;We face at least a $154 million shortfall in our budgets over the next two years,”; said John Morton, UH chief negotiator, who added that UH is experiencing a record enrollment increase.

On Sept. 3 Morton wrote to UHPA, saying, “;We appear to be in another deadlock in our negotiations.”;

The union is telling faculty members that if they accept the UH offer, it will cut their salary, but if they vote against it, “;you will keep the current 2003-2009 contract with no salary reductions.”;

The union will conduct an online vote of UHPA members to seek guidance on whether to accept the offer, although the UHPA bargaining committee is urging a “;no”; vote.

Union sources say that the union fears that UH will implement the wage cuts anyway and that action could trigger a strike action among UH faculty.

Neither side would comment on the record about the new contract stalemate.