Hawaii County has reached a “significant arbitration outcome” with a government workers’ union over COVID-19 hazard pay, outgoing Mayor Mitch Roth announced Monday.
The Hawaii Government Employees Association is one of several labor unions embroiled in disputes with the county and state over being denied requests for hazardous duty pay during the pandemic. The union, which represents about 5,400 Big Island members, has been in negotiation with the county for nearly two years.
Roth announced Monday, the day of the inauguration of his successor Kimo Alameda, that arbitration between the two parties has concluded, although negotiations with three other unions remain open.
Roth told the Tribune-Herald on Monday the terms of the agreement will offer members 15% of their hourly compensation for six months, which he said will save the county about $15 million. County officials have previously said that to pay out HGEA’s requested hazard pay in full — “they were asking for 25% (over two years),” Roth said — would have cost the county $40 million.
“These savings ensure that the resources we’ve worked so hard to preserve will remain available to tackle our community’s most pressing needs,” Roth said in a statement. “It has been an honor to serve this community, and I wish Mayor Alameda and his administration great success as they take the reins.”
Roth, speaking to the Tribune-Herald about an hour before Alameda’s inauguration, acknowledged the hazard pay issue likely contributed to the outcome of the mayor’s race this year.
“It absolutely cost us votes,” Roth said. “The unions put a lot of votes into Kimo’s campaign … and I think the media coverage of the hazard pay issue hasn’t been good.”
Roth said the negotiations with HGEA have been frustrating, saying he believes the union’s membership was never properly informed about the county’s various offers throughout the process.
Ultimately, he said, “the county has a duty to make sure we protect the taxpayer’s money,” and added that because of various safety measures implemented during the pandemic, the coronavirus wasn’t a major hazard for public workers.
“Leadership is about making the hard decisions that honor both the contributions of our dedicated workers and the long-term well-being of our residents,” said Roth in what was likely his final press release from the mayor office. “We’ve been at the table every step of the way, advocating for fair, equitable solutions while protecting the critical services that our community depends on.”
Representatives of HGEA declined to comment.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
