Posted on: Wednesday, March 24, 2004

HGEA raises to be announced today

Advertiser Staff

About 23,000 members of the Hawai'i Government Employees Association will learn today what kind of raises they will receive.

A three-member arbitration panel was expected to announce its decision yesterday but postponed the release, said Ted Hong, chief negotiator for the state.

Hong said he got the news from Mike Ben, the employers' representative on the arbitration panel. "They wanted to make sure it was letter perfect," Hong said.

The wide disparity between the sides during the panel's three-month process has left a large uncertainty about city and state budgets both this year and next year.

The state has offered no pay raises in the first year, 1 percent in the second year.

The union wants 4 percent raises, including "steps" that allow employees to move up pay categories based on years of service, in each of the two years.