Posted on: Tuesday, March 27, 2001

Faculty union, state continue contract talks

By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Staff Writer

The union representing Hawai'i's 3,100 university faculty members and state negotiators are scheduled to meet again today with a federal mediator.

The union and the state have reached an impasse over issues of pay, workload and benefits, and talks have been stalled for months. Members of the University of Hawai'i Professional Assembly have voted to authorize a strike April 5.

UHPA and state negotiators last met with a federal mediator Friday for more than seven hours.

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 merit pay, but would cut benefits in the summer months. Community college instructors would receive raises of $2,035 and $2,720 over two years, plus 1 percent in merit pay.

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