UH faculty OKs 6-year contract
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
As state college campuses emptied out for the Easter weekend, the University of Hawai'i Professional Assembly announced yesterday that its members had ratified a new contract that raises salaries by 34.8 percent over six years.
Eighty-two percent of those participating voted for the deal. Turnout was relatively low: 65 percent of UHPA's 3,442 members cast ballots.
The agreement now goes to the Legislature for spending authorization, with the first two years costing about $8.5 million.
Board of Regents chairwoman Patricia Lee called it "a step in the right direction in bringing faculty salaries in line with their peers." UH President Evan Dobelle said it will give UH faculty "both validation and stability."
"I believe it's the longest-term contract for public higher education faculty across the country," Dobelle said. Lee said the board was "thankful" a strike was averted.
Students also breathed a sigh of relief that ratification means a calm end to the semester and no strike.
"I'm planning to be at the university for another two or three years and having some added stability is good," said first-year law student Michael Dahilig, past-president of the student government, the Associated Students of the University of Hawai'i.
Reid Chung, who is working toward a master's degree in Business Administration, agreed that averting a strike was "a good thing," especially after the stress of the 13-day strike in 2001 and the rush students experienced in catching up afterward.
Gov. Linda Lingle said the university is an important economic engine for the state, and that the new contract would help retain and attract high-quality professors.
"I expect them to fund the contract," Lingle said of state lawmakers.
Dahilig, 23, who like many students expressed support for the faculty raises, believes the contract is a good one.
"They're going to be moving up in pay scale, maybe not as much as they want, but I think it's part of Dobelle's vision to give the professors the kind of money they do deserve," he said.
However Dahilig said also he wonders "if the Legislature is going to fund the increases. ... I know they're still negotiating with other bargaining units statewide."
But as top UH officials called it a significant step forward for faculty, one highly-ranked professor worried that the 65 percent turnout sent a message.
"I'd say that probably this reflects in some way the fact that no one was really thrilled with it," said oceanography professor Roger B. Lukas.
During informational briefings on the 10 campuses, union officials heard angry feedback that accused them of settling for less than what everyone agreed underpaid faculty should be receiving; failing to get an extra "bump" in pay for senior professors; and agreeing to small raises in the first years with no certainty the state will honor — or be able to finance — big ones at the end. Under the contract, faculty would receive annual raises of 1, 3, 2, 5, 9 and 11 percent, in that order, through 2009.
Nonetheless, Lukas thinks that even though the hefty raises are back-loaded, with the biggest increases in the final two years, they will encourage top researchers to stay.
"We have some top-notch faculty and they are in great demand nationally," he said. "To the extent they're content and can focus on their research and feel productive, they're happy to stay in Hawai'i. They're less content as they watch their salaries lag, new colleagues hired at higher salaries and their ability to conduct research erode."
Advertiser staff writer Derrick DePledge contributed to this report. Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.
