Tag Archives: UHPA

WIth the primary days away, more on politics

17 Replies

With the primary election only days away, a lots of votes already cast in advance, there’s still a lot of political talk in the air.

• Mufi Hannemann’s campaign may have violated the state ethics code by emailing targeted messages to UH faculty and staff through the University of Hawaii email system, the UH faculty union said yesterday.

However, the state ethics code only applies to state officials and employees, so it appears there could be no actual violation unless the emails were sent by a state employee. UHPA was investigating but did not have evidence to show this kind of violation. However, it could be a violation for a state employee to forward a campaign email to other via the UH or state system.

Kris Hanselman, associate executive director of the UH Professional Assembly, said emails started hitting campus mailboxes last week at Leeward Community College and West Oahu, later at Hilo. Emails this week from the Hannemann campaign included an online version of the controversial advertisement that appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Sunday, in which Hannemann implies the endorsement of Hawaii’s two U.S. senators despite their public pledges of neutrality.

“It’s an inappropriate use of public resources and another instance of their ‘its their way or the highway’ approach,” Hanselman said.

UHPA has endorsed Neil Abercrombie in the Democratic primary and has distributed its own independent materials urging faculty to support him.

Other emails inviting faculty to join “Education Professionals for Hannemann” and pledge support for his campaign link to a Google Group set up by Kevin Yamazaki, a recent Pomona College graduate. On a separate LinkedIn profile, Yamazaki identifies himself as “Technology Coordinator for Mufi Hannemann, Mayor of Honolulu.”

The emails prompted a “friendly reminder” (read: Warning) from the State Ethics Commission sent to all UH faculty and staff last week.

As the election season continues to heat up, the Hawaii State Ethics
Commission has issued a friendly reminder that UH email and other State
resources may not be used for campaign purposes.

Several publications relevant to campaign activities, including the use
of public email systems, have been issued by the Commission and are
available at:
http://hawaii.gov/ethics/pubs_guides/campaigning

• Two environmental groups blasted the Hannemann campaign yesterday for falsely claiming credit for “Keeping the Country Country.”

“From supporting luxury homes in Laie to supporting development at Turtle Bay, Mr. Hannemann has been a proponent of developing one of the last rural areas on Oahu,” said Stuart Coleman, Surfrider Foundation’s Hawaii Coordinator. “We respectfully call upon him to withdraw and disavow the advertisement that usurps the Keep the Country COUNTRY slogan.”

• In an email, Representative Isaac Choy’s campaign chairman questioned why the Hawaii Venture Capital Association made an endorsement in just one legislative race.

The only House or Senate race at the State Legislature was for Kimberly Case against Rep. Isaac Choy. Isn’t it odd that the proponents of the 221 tax credit go after the one state legislator who they see as the roadblock to their cash flow? Forget the Gov’s race, these greedy folks want to suck another $100 million a year from the state for the next ten years, again.

While I disagreed strongly with Choy’s backing of a bill to restrict public information about consumer complaints, I was quite impressed with the level of his participation during Finance Committee discussions of the budget, these tax credits, and other issues. Choy, who is a CPA, raised the level of committee discussion and provided key perspectives.

No wonder he’s been targeted by the HVCA, I guess.

• And from retired Star-Bulletin editor, Chuck Frankel:

I disagree strongly with your assessment on the Star-Advertiser story on tax breaks for millionaires and their historic homes. This is the kind of stories that newspapers exist for.

It did not bother me that Kirk Caldwell wasn’t mentioned until deep in the story. I found it intriguing that Jon Van Dyke’s Roundtop home wasn’t visible at Roundtop but could be seen from Kahala — if you knew where to look. Yet he got a tax break.

It’s another incident where the rich get richer, thanks to attorneys. The program to help preserve historic homes was well conceived but it has failed and should be repealed. Thank you, Star-Advertiser, for bringing this blatant misjustice to the attention of the reading public.

University faculty union director describes breakdown of contract negotiations

6 Replies

The state and University of Hawaii have blown opportunities to reach a contract settlement with the faculty union several times since preliminary talks started nearly two years ago, according to the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, the faculty union.

In one glaring example, the union and the UH Board of Regents both agreed in late January 2009 to Governor Lingle’s proposal to extend the existing contract for two years without salary increases or other changes. But the deal fell apart several days later when Lingle backtracked and informed the union that her offer was “off the table” unless it involved a “global settlement” with all public employee unions.

This incident is described in a November 13 “open letter” to UH faculty from UH Professional Assembly Executive Director and Chief Negotiator J.N. Musto which was posted for “members only” on the union web site and mailed to union members this week. The letter is titled: “The history and status of bargaining Unit 7 negotiations.”

According to Musto’s account, negotiations have failed because of “the lack of cooperation on the part of the Governor”.

After failing to reach a contract agreement during ongoing negotiations with the assistance of a federal mediator, the UH administration presented what it described as its “Last, Best, Final Offer” on September 15. Musto says this was actually the university’s “first and only salary proposal presented to UHPA since bargaining began in May 2008.”

Today, while the union has offered to accept the 5% temporary pay cut sought by the state, it has asked for other non-salary changes that will make the agreement at least equal to the terms of the expired contract.

Those terms remain in force under a so-call “Evergreen Clause”, which extends the previous contract’s terms until a new contract is approved. The faculty gave up the right to strike and the university can’t lock-out the faculty during the extension period, the letter reports.

A key remaining money issue involves premiums for health insurance provided through the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, which could increase faculty out-of-pocket cost by $2,400 per year if the state implements a plan to cap the employers’ share of the payments.

According to Musto, former UH President David McClain played an active role in negotiations and personally took part in negotiating sessions as long as he was in office. Since McClain stepped down, the UH has been represented in contract talks by John Morton, UH vice-president for community colleges.

Although not stated directly, the letter leaves the impression that potential progress in negotiations has been slowed due to the lack of top-level participation since McClain’s departure.

Musto also cites several issues raised by faculty during a recent system-wide faculty forum. For example, faculty see millions of dollars in tax incentives going to new private industry and investors, while the state wants “to pay less for a public industry–in this case the University–that does more for the state both in real growth and future potential than any single private company.”

Failure to provide adequate support for the university, even in today’s economic circumstances, will cause “the likely decline in overall quality” and “a downward spiral that will only exacerbate the State’s conomic woes; a self-fulfilling prophecy of economic disaster,” the letter says, describing comments during the faculty forum.

Musto chides UH President M.R.C. Greewood for telling the Honolulu Advertiser that she had requested a private meeting, without mentioning that Musto had quickly responded.

Musto says he advised Greenwood in writing that an initial meeting involving the 7-member UHPA executive committee would be “the best way to start to build the trust necessary for any settlement”, but also stated a willingness to meet privately if she still still wished to do so despite his reservations.

Musto reported that at the time his letter was written, he had not received a reply.

Musto’s open letter ends on a somber note with a prediction that the university is likely to try to unilaterally impose the terms its amended “last, best, final” offer, which will undoubtedly trigger a contentious legal battle.

University of Hawaii faculty get “last best final offer”

Leave a reply

The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, the faculty union representing faculty statewide, has scheduled an “authorization vote” on what the state is calling their “last best final offer”.

The union board of directors and bargaining committee recommend faculty vote “No”.

According to an early morning email accompanying a summary of the proposals:

The UH administration, by issuing a Last Best Final Offer, is indicating they are no longer willing to seek compromise. The use of the language “last best final offer” means that the employer is telling union members either to accept this offer or to have it unilaterally imposed upon them.

The offer includes a 5% salary cut in each of the two years for faculty paid with state funds, higher medical insurance premiums, a payroll lag that would cut one pay period during the current year, and right to “retrench” or layoff tenured faculty at the same time it would not restrict hiring of new administrators. The 5% salary cut would not be imposed on faculty who elect to retire before the end of 2009.

The state’s contribution to medical insurance premiums had been set at 60% of the total, but would fall below 40% under the new plan, leaving faculty to pay the balance, the union said.

The union distributed a summary comparing terms of the current “evergreen” contract extension and the state’s final offer.

The union stressed that this is not a ratification vote, but a vote to give the bargaining committee a sense of faculty opinion.

If you vote No, you will keep the current 2003-2009 contract with no salary reductions.

If you vote Yes, you accept the employer’s Last Best Final Offer to cut your salary. In this case, the UHPA Bargaining Team will then inform the employer that the conditions of the LBFO are acceptable and will enter into a Tentative Agreement. The Tentative Agreement must be presented for a ratification vote of all bargaining unit 7 members. If the majority of unit 7 members vote to ratify, the proposed contract will be in effect from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011.

The union has scheduled a series of meetings on campuses statewide “to provide members with information on and the opportunity to ask questions” on the state’s proposed contract.

Faculty at the Manoa campus say the university should not be able to cut faculty jobs, claiming financial exigency, while at the same time creating and filling new administrative positions and pressing ahead with building a new and expanded West Oahu campus.