Contract for UPW members up for vote

Members of the United Public Workers union are voting this week on a tentative agreement for a new four-year contract that includes raises and bonuses for union members.

The tentative agreement includes a $1,000 bonus for members this November, followed by a 3.2 percent raise, and then another $1,000 bonus next year. In May 2019, members will receive a 3.45 percent raise, and will then receive another 2 percent increase in July 2019. Union members will also receive another 2 percent increase on July 1, 2020.

James Nishimoto, chief negotiator for the state Office of Collective Bargaining, said he could not provide details about the agreement because the ratification voting is still not finished.

Unit 1 is made up of blue-collar, nonsupervisory workers and includes about 4,800 state employees. Ratification voting for the members of Unit 1 has been completed on Kauai, is now underway on Maui and Oahu, and begins Thursday on Hawaii island, according to the UPW website.

Ratification voting on a separate agreement has been completed by members of Unit 10, which includes institutional, health and correctional workers. That voting by union members began in mid-July and wrapped up July 22, according to notifications on the UPW website. Unit 10 has about 2,700 members.

UPW State Director Dayton Nakanelua did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday, but said in a written statement on the union website that the negotiations for Unit 10 were a “lengthy process.”

The unit’s executive negotiating committee “has worked very hard at securing an agreement they are proud to present to the Bargaining Unit 10 at-large,” according to the statement.