HONOLULU- The head of the Hawaii Government Employees Association unit that represents registered professional nurses is prepared for binding arbitration after a contract proposal was shot down 509 to 392.
Results of the voting that began April 18 were announced Monday evening.
“I wasn't real surprised,” said HGEA Unit 9 Director Sue Kaulukukui. “I knew a lot of the nurses had a lot of issues.
Unit 9 was the only HGEA bargaining unit to reject a two year offer that ends furloughs and increases time off but also raises the cost of health benefits and institutes a 5 percent pay cut.
A major stumbling block in the contract offer reached April 6 was the continued freeze of step movements, which in the past granted 1,561 HGEA nurses pay raises at regular intervals.
“We've kept at that for two years and now they just can't do it for two more years,” explained Kaulukukui. “I hope we can go back to the table and get what the nurses deserve.”
If a new offer eludes Unit 9 Kaulukukui is prepared for binding arbitration, where a three member panel is tasked with crafting a contract deemed fair and appropriate.
“I think step movements definitely need to be added in there and possibly some (pay) raises,” Kaulukukui said of any new offer. The Unit 9 director maintains nurses who work at private facilities earn an average of 30 percent more in overall wages and benefits.
“So often times they go to the other hospitals, the private hospitals and then we have to start all over in training,” she said. “We might be training for one to two years and then they're gone.”
Twelve hundred Unit 9 nurses work within the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation at twelve public state hospitals and nursing homes throughout Hawaii, most of them located in rural communities.
HHSC public affairs director Miles Takaaze told Khon2 the board of directors is looking forward to further negotiations to resolve the Unit 9 impasse.
“We want to examine the situation including further clarification from the nurses,” he said. “We respect the process.”
Under the current state contract that expires June 30 nurses within HHSC were already working under a 5 percent pay cut, while those at the Kaneohe State Hospital and public health clinics were being furloughed two days per month.
HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira said in a statement rejection of the current offer by Unit 9 members proves the state has some catching up to do with the private sector.
“This is a clear reflection of the fact that wages for registered nurses in the public hospital system are woefully behind the private sector, and our public hospitals — which provide the bulk of acute care services on the neighbor islands — is simply not in a competitive situation with private facilities.”
NOTHING TO LOSE
Honolulu labor attorney and mediation expert Michael Nauyokas believes Unit 9 members have nothing to lose by going into binding arbitration. During such hearings both sides are allowed to present evidence, which in this case would include pay scales earned by nurses at private hospitals.
“If I was Unit 9 I would go to binding arbitration and usually the unions do better in binding arbitration,” said Nauyokas.
The labor attorney believes there will be mounting pressure on the state to settle with Unit 9 since private hospitals are already in the midst of a nursing shortage.
“If they do not give the nurses more money and benefits you're going to see an exodus from our rural state hospitals,” said Nauyokas. “We're just gonna end up paying overtime and we're gonna end up with a bigger bill.”
MOST FAVORED NATION
The contract offer approved Monday by six of the seven HGEA bargaining units includes a “favored nation” status that essentially rewards the union for being the first to settle with the state.
If another public worker union gets a better offer, favored nation allows HGEA to get the same exact deal.
However Nauyokas believes other public sector unions will be hard pressed to negotiate better terms as the state struggles with a $1.3 billion projected budget deficit over the next two fiscal years.
“If you do bargain for something that's better than the HGEA contract, all six ratified HGEA units get those terms in their contract as well,” he said. “I would predict that you're not going to see anything that's significantly better.”
Public worker unions yet to settle with the state or the four counties include United Public Workers, the Hawaii State Teachers Association, the State of Hawaii Police Officers Union and the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association.
In a written statement Gov. Neil Abercrombie said the HGEA deal produces savings needed to balance the state budget.
““HGEA members have families and pay taxes like the rest of us,” wrote the governor.
“Over the years, they have carried a heavy burden in increasingly difficult work conditions. But HGEA members want to move Hawaii forward as we all do. Throughout Hawaii, people are ready to follow their example — to attack our problems instead of attacking each other.”
8,877 HGEA members in Units 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 13 voted for the contract proposal while 5,377 voted against. The deal increases the number of days off from 21 to 30, accrued at a rate of six hours per month.
Overall turnout, including Unit 9, was 54.1 percent among the union’s 28,000 members. The new contract begins July 1 and runs through June 30, 2013.
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