Union officials said they were "disappointed" the decision provides no money for retroactive pay hikes.

The three-member panel approved a contract that covers the period between July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2005.

Russell Okata, HGEA executive director, said in a prepared statement today that the union is pleased that the award continues a merit-based, step movement plan for pay raises for which the union went on strike in 1994.

That plan, and the pay raise "together increase the salary base for these employees, which will affect their future raises and retirement."

"We are, however, disappointed the panel did not provide for retroactivity, because employees in other bargaining units received some dollars as of July 1, 2003.

"We respect the panel’s decision and expect the state and county employers to do likewise," Okata said. "We also expect the state Legislature and county councils to fund the award."

Other aspects of the contract:

• For HGEA Units 2, 3, 4 and 13, the award will delay until July 1 this year the salary step movements that were to take place between July 1 last year through June 30. There will be no retroactive pay adjustments, but those employees will earn service time credit for the period.

• For Unit 6, employees will move two steps in pay on July 1 and another step Jan. 1, provided that they don’t exceed the maximum.

• For Unit 8, employees will move one step in pay on July 1 and another step Jan. 1, provided that they don’t exceed the maximum.

• Vacation leave and sick leave agreements will continue through June 30. Effective July 1, all employees, including those hired on or after July 2, 2001, will be covered by the master contract’s 21-day vacation and sick leave provisions.

The HGEA units covered under the arbitrated decision include blue- and white-collar supervisors, white-collar workers and educational officers.

The Hawai'i State Teachers Association has still not reached an agreement with the state. The contract for blue-collar city and state workers covered under United Public Workers has a stipulation that salary/wage increases for HGEA would allow UPW to seek a reopening on that issue.

Other government worker unions that have reached agreements:

• The University of Hawai'i Professional Assembly reached an agreement with the state and the university that gives faculty a 31 percent pay raise through 2009.

• Prison guards, emergency service workers and licensed nurses under the United Public Workers unit 10 will receive 5 percent pay raises this year and next year per an arbitrated decision.

• State nurses covered under HGEA’s unit 9 reached an arbitrated decision that awarded them 10 percent pay increases over two years.

An arbitration decision also awarded the Hawai'i Fire Fighters Association a 10 percent pay increase over two years.