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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, March 25, 2001



Faculty authorizes UH strike April 5

 •  Strike threats a double whammy

By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer

Members of the University of Hawai'i Professional Assembly have voted to authorize a strike April 5, the same day public school teachers plan to leave the classroom for the picket line if they fail to work out a contract agreement with the state.

In an expected move, the union representing 3,100 faculty members at UH's 10-campus system sent a strike notice to the state and Hawai'i Labor Relations Board yesterday. Of 2,472 UHPA members who voted last week on whether a strike should be authorized, 2,241 voted yes; 231 voted no.

"As of the 5th of April, we will be the only state in the union with no public education," said UHPA executive director J.N. Musto.

Musto said UHPA's strike date of April 5 does not represent a formal joint effort with the Hawai'i State Teachers Association, the union representing the state's nearly 13,000 public school teachers.

UHPA and state negotiators met with a federal mediator Friday evening for more than seven hours. But while Musto described the talks as "constructive," no agreement was reached. Both sides will meet again with the federal mediator Tuesday.

The state's offer would give UH-Manoa, Hilo and West O'ahu instructors a pay raise of 7 percent over two years, and 3 percent more in possible merit pay. Community college instructors would receive $2,035 and $2,720 raises over two years, and 1 percent more in merit pay.

The union is asking for a 12 percent raise over two years, as well as 0.5 percent for possible merit raises each year. It also wants to reduce the community college teaching load from 15 credit hours a semester to 12 hours.