ARBITRATOR IMPLEMENTS PAY CUTS FOR PRISON, HYCF GUARDS; FURLOUGHS FOR HHSC, EMS EMPLOYEES

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle today announced the final results of an arbitration panel’s decision for employees of United Public Workers (UPW) Unit 10.  The decision provides a mix of furloughs and straight pay cuts for the different members of Unit 10, as follows:

Hawai‘i State Hospital, Prison and Hawai‘i Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF) guards:

• Up to 5.45 percent pay cut, effective January 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011

Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation (HHSC): 

• Up to 14 furlough days, effective January 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010

• Up to 24 furlough days, effective July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011

City Emergency Medical Services (EMS):

• No furloughs in fiscal year 2010

• Up to 21 furlough days, effective July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011

“This is a split decision as far as I’m concerned,” said Governor Lingle.  “The arbitration panel went along with our request for pay cuts for employees of some of the most important 24/7 operations at the State Hospital, the prisons, and the youth correctional facility, but ignored the same request for others. 

“We are very disappointed that the panel chose to implement furloughs for employees of the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation.  A straight pay cut for these employees would be better than furloughs because the nature of the work and the people they serve requires 24/7 attention,” the Governor added.

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