SUMMER 2020 STAYING HGEA STRONG IN VOLUME 55 | ISSUE 1 A PANDEMIC WORLD PAGE 3 HIGHER EDUCATION’S SU 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION NEW NORMAL PAGE 10 20 ENDORSEMENTS PAGE 20 Kapiolani Community College’s Director For Resource Development 2020-2021 KENDALL SCHOLARSHIP Brandon Marc Higa RECIPIENTS PAGE 26 HAWAII GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION | AFSCME LOCAL 152, AFL-CIO HAWAII GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION | 1 The last few months we’ve adjusted The fight is not over. The governor EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MESSAGE to a shutdown of our state caused is still considering layoffs, pay cuts by a pandemic that none of us or furloughs of public employees in experienced in our lifetime. It his financial plan. Many members continues to be a long fight against shared with us how a pay cut would those in the Ige Administration that financially devastate their families. see pay cuts as the way to balance Make no mistake — HGEA is prepared our state budget. This despite to fight to the bitter end to do what the words of advice from Hawaii is economically sound and right for economists and the Federal Reserve our state and protect your pay. STAYING Chair: cutting salaries in the face of In a crisis, government’s job is to the unemployment and business support communities through shutdowns is the wrong move. I thank continued crucial services. Public all of you for your perseverance and service and government spending support. I also thank our legislative are what keep distressed economies leaders for taking control of the afloat. AFSCME, along with our budget and forcing decisions on the HGEA Congressional delegation, are Administration — without cutting pay. working hard in Washington, D.C. to On Friday, June 26, the Hawaii secure a next round of unrestricted Legislature overwhelmingly passed federal support to states. These the bill that funds the collective monies are needed to fund public bargaining agreements for Units 2, 3, services and support our local 4, 8, 9, 13 and 14, ensuring that you economies. We can’t afford more STRONG Randy Perreira will have valid contracts. There was cuts to essential public services HGEA Executive Director strong and vocal opposition that like public safety, sanitation, water played out in the news, but despite treatment and health care. the public pressure, a vast majority IN A PANDEMIC WORLD As you are recalled to work, please of legislators understood the know we remain vigilant in ensuring importance of ensuring your rights that your work environment is safe. and we were successful in passing Some agencies are doing a better job the measure. At the time The Public than others (the Judiciary and UH), Employee went to print, the bill was while at other jurisdictions we fear awaiting action by the governor. chaos similar to what we saw during Within the past four months, the world has been greatly suffering due to layoffs, shutdowns and Thank you to all who reached out to the shutdown in March. transformed with the coronavirus outbreak. Along travel restrictions to the state. your legislators and urged passage Finally, a moment to remind you with the heartbreaking loss of lives globally, the of the bill. To the Senate leadership, that this is an important election During this time of crisis, HGEA members have been we thank Ways and Means Chair pandemic brought stay-at-home orders and year. Hawaii has our first all-mail Donovan Dela Cruz, Senate President changed how we interact with each other, how resilient, continuing to work and adapting to what election. I must remind you to make Ron Kouchi and Labor Chair Brian employees do their work, how businesses operate, has become the new normal. Public workers are sure you are registered and to sign/ Taniguchi. Special thanks to House of return the signature card that was and has forced some to shut down. In Hawaii, the unsung heroes of this pandemic, quietly and Representatives leadership, Speaker mailed to you. Please look at our although we have fared comparatively better than effectively getting the job done every day to make Scott Saiki, Labor Chair Aaron list of endorsed candidates (pages other areas in the world in terms of COVID-19 sure the services that we all depend on are still Johanson and Finance Chair Sylvia 20-21) and watch for more video available. Thank you to everyone for doing your part. Luke who made it a priority to make cases, we have been hit hard economically and are messages. As we witnessed, our sure that our members were treated future depends on the actions of fairly and our contracts were acted elected officials — remember, vote upon. We’re grateful to all legislators for those who share our values and who voted in support. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 support working families. SU 20 2 | SUMMER 2020 | THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE HAWAII GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION | 3 COVID-19: STAYING HGEA STRONG CHAOS AND CONFUSION FIGHTING FOR YOU From the start, HGEA staff received Director Randy Perreira gave regular “DECISIONS ABOUT WORKER While public employees continued to for example, nurses, psychiatric a deluge of calls and emails from updates through video messages work during the pandemic despite technicians, clerks and other workers AND PUBLIC SAFETY ARE members who had questions and — through it all, we fought and risks, HGEA fought and continues didn’t have proper PPE and were concerns. The lack of clear and continue to fight on your behalf for BEING DELEGATED DOWN to fight for fair compensation for being asked to wear donated cloth consistent communication from the safer working conditions, temporary TO DEPARTMENT HEADS members and for their health and masks. Our national union AFSCME employers on workplace guidelines hazard pay and more. As the state, safety in the workplace. In addition, also fought for PPE on the national and unclear clarification about counties and other government OR LINE SUPERVISORS — we continue to fight against proposed level. While some employers essential vs. non-essential workers jurisdictions start to bring their THIS IS A RECIPE FOR pay cuts and furloughs of public provided the appropriate PPE and added additional stress to the employees back from telework and workers to balance the state budget. cleaning supplies, others did not and CHAOS AND CONFUSION situation. As government workers reopen to the public, we ask the employees were forced to bring their Temporary hazard pay: HGEA continued to serve the public on employers to provide a uniform set WITH EACH DEPARTMENT own face masks, hand sanitizers and continues to fight for temporary the frontlines, they had little or no of safety guidelines and requirements disinfecting products. DOING SOMETHING hazard pay for all affected employees personal protective equipment for all public workplaces and for in all jurisdictions statewide that Health and safety: Class grievances (PPE) and few cleaning supplies a seamless transition back to full DIFFERENT.” were designated to perform essential were filed on behalf of essential were provided to them. While we service while ensuring employees functions — workers on the frontlines workers whose employers understood that circumstances kept and their customers operate in a –RANDY PERREIRA that have had or continues to have disregarded health and safety changing and plans were evolving safe environment. contact with the general public guidelines and violated social for this unprecedented public health “As health experts are giving the green and are at heightened risk of being distancing recommendations from emergency, HGEA discovered that light to reopen businesses, we are exposed to or getting COVID-19, and the Centers for Disease Control and across different departments and seeing strong safety protocols put in workers who were being required to Prevention (CDC). At the Hawaii jurisdictions, the employers did not place in retail stores and restaurants,” report to work. Paroling Authority in downtown have standard policies on how they Perreira said. “Government needs Honolulu, rather than allowing were handling coronavirus issues. Personal protective equipment: to be just as careful. We are asking employees to telework, parole Our managers and staff continued HGEA urged employers to provide for action plans and are finding that officers and office assistants were to work with every jurisdiction on a our members with proper PPE. In the decisions about worker and public ordered to report to work where weekly and almost daily basis to get wake of this worldwide pandemic, safety are being delegated down to officers and parolees met in crowded information and continued to press these public workers needed to be department heads or line supervisors spaces, common areas were often the employers to establish protocols. provided a safe working environment, — this is a recipe for chaos and overly crowded and office workers particularly the frontline workers The HGEA offices remained open, confusion with each department had less than the CDC-recommended who were operating with inadequate HGEA staff were available, Executive doing something different.” six feet of space between them. workplace protections even as they were protecting our communities. At the Hawaii State Hospital, CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 4 | SUMMER 2020 | THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE HAWAII GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION | 5 COVID-19: STAYING HGEA STRONG PROCESSING PROVIDING UNEMPLOYMENT ESSENTIAL SERVICES CLAIMS FIGHTING FOR YOU CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Actions were taken by the Amid the COVID-19 crisis, it’s been guidelines, many worked long provide that are often taken administration after HGEA business as usual for many HGEA hours and on weekends to get for granted yet are essential to filed a health and safety members who continued to go to their jobs done. supporting our communities, grievance to implement social work and risked their own safety to especially during a pandemic. Read Our members have continued to distancing procedures and make provide essential services.