Posted at 10:55 a.m., Wednesday, April 4, 2001

UH strike looks inevitable

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i faculty union representatives today said there was little hope for a settlement on the eve of a threatened strike.

"They've told us if we don't have a settlement by noon today, there will be no late-night bargaining," said J.N. Musto, executive director of the University of Hawai'i Professional Assembly, before a mid-morning session with federal mediator Carol Catanzariti. "We're enormously far apart."

More than 3,180 faculty members are poised to walk off the job if there is no settlement. There are some 43,000 students in the UH system statewide.

"There hasn't been any change in the economics since the state's last offer, March 16," Musto said. "We're not receiving any of the economic adjustments other public sector unions will receive in the next two years."

UHPA is bargaining with Davis Yogi, the state's chief negotiator. The union will strike at midnight if there is no settlement.

Referring to negotiations with UHPA, Yogi said: "This one could be closer (to a settlement). I'll know today. The issues are principle and money, and sometimes principle gets in the way of settling issues."