HGEA Wins Temporary Hazard Pay Arbitration Award
Hawaii Government Employees Association, the state’s largest union, announces its win in a long-standing dispute with the County of Maui over temporary hazard pay during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With this arbitration decision, over 1,300 HGEA bargaining unit members employed by the County of Maui are entitled to temporary hazard pay compensation of up to 25% of their base salary for the duration of Governor Ige’s emergency proclamation from March 4, 2020 to March 25, 2022.
“This award validates our belief that what our government workforce did during the COVID-19 global pandemic was truly extraordinary. Our members sacrificed their health, and quite frankly, their families’ safety, to show up at work each and every day. They are not just essential workers, they are our social safety net and they kept Hawaii afloat during this unprecedented crisis,” said HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira.
HGEA is still in the grievance process with other jurisdictions over temporary hazard pay but believes that Maui’s decision is a positive sign. “This is a precedent setting award,” said Perreira. “We look forward to resolving similar grievances with other jurisdictions so that our members can move forward and focus on serving our community.”
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Media Contact:
Michele Kurihara-Klein
Legislative/Communications Officer, HGEA
Direct: 808-543-0093
mkurihara@hgea.org
Kristina Lum
Communications Specialist, HGEA
Direct: 808-543-0063
klum@hgea.org