First Amendment Tool Kit
http://acluhi.org/know-your-rights/demonstrating-at-apec/
For more information, contact ACLU Director Kit Grant at kgrant@acluhawaii.org.
http://acluhi.org/know-your-rights/demonstrating-at-apec/
For more information, contact ACLU Director Kit Grant at kgrant@acluhawaii.org.
Higher education empowers all Hawaii residents and serves as the means to advance a just, equal, and fair society. The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly has been at the forefront of advocating for the right of all to an affordable, accessible quality higher education, whether it results in a certificate from a community college or a degree from one of the many University of Hawaii campuses. UHPA is committed to ensuring Hawaii students reach their full potential, with higher education serving as their path to a better life.
Whether teaching in the classroom, conducting research, or providing other essential services at the University, every day UHPA members’ work contributes to the efforts to achieve a just and fair society and promote democratic practices.
UHPA faculty members stand in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and the actions throughout the country that promote economic, social and political justice. We recognize that a large majority of those across our country are outraged by the extreme income disparities in our society that have been caused by failed fiscal, tax and regulatory policies. We can no longer grant special favors or tax breaks to high income individuals and corporations while higher education is underfunded and dismissed as insignificant.
As employees, we decry the massive efforts to silence the voice of labor, demean and devalue the contributions of working men and women to a civil society, and blame organized labor for the economic woes of the country. These divisive efforts are misguided and must stop.
UHPA believes it is important for Occupy Wall Street to succeed as a vehicle to change the political and economic forces that are destroying the American dream and tearing our nation apart. It is time to stand up and advance the cause of equity and fairness.
Adopted by the UHPA Board of Directors, October 22, 2011
APEC, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, will be hosting a summit this November in Hawaii to promote a massive NAFTA-style trade agreement for the Pacific Rim. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement is an Asia-Pacific regional trade agreement currently being negotiated among the United States and eight other countries including Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam, but is also intended as a “docking agreement” that other Pacific Rim countries would join over time, such as Indonesia, Russia, Japan, the Philippines and possibly even China. The ongoing, multi-year negotiations over the Trans-Pacific FTA are supposed to conclude by November 2011. Even if that date slips, as is now expected, the window of opportunity for preventing the FTA from becoming a new “NAFTA for the Pacific Rim” is rapidly closing. Here are some of the questions yet to be answered:
About the Speaker: Lori Wallach is a trade lawyer, author and the director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, an organization which promotes government and corporate accountability on issues involving trade and globalization. Wallach is a leading progressive voice on international trade and is an expert on domestic and international trade negotiations, disputes and policies including NAFTA, WTO, CAFTA and more. She is currently investigating the economic and labor implications of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will be discussed at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Honolulu this November. For more information about Lori Wallach and her work click here or for more information about Global Trade Watch click here.
This survey was sent only to UHPA members with a private email address.
If you are an UHPA member and did not receive this survey at your private email address, it is possible that UHPA does not have a private email address for you or an incorrect one. Click here to email us your name & private email address.
When Sen. Jill Tokuda (D) first joined the Hawaii legislature in 2006, making sure there was adequate funding for higher education was a challenge. Looking ahead to the upcoming 2012 legislative session, Sen. Tokuda, who has served as Chair of the Senate Committee on Higher Education since 2009, predicts funding for higher education will continue to be an issue.
“It’s become even more of a challenge because of the decline in state funding over the years,” she told the Faculty Representatives gathered at the Ala Moana Hotel on Saturday, October 15. “Making the bucket bigger has been hard over the years. So how do we change the game?”
Although she said economists predict tight economic times ahead, she wanted to offer an “optimistic and hopeful” picture for the future, but one that is also “realistic.”
There is diversity of opinion among her fellow legislators regarding the level of funding and level of autonomy the UH should have, she said. Some legislators are in favor of more public funding for the UH, but this would come at the cost of losing autonomy for the UH. For example, she said this may mean legislators would shape the direction of the campuses and programs in exchange for more funding.
While her colleagues’ views may run the gamut, Sen. Tokuda subscribes to a more “balanced” view. She proposes establishing a base funding for the campuses with additional funding contingent upon meeting specific benchmarks for growth. This “earn it or lose it” incentive approach would enable campuses to obtain additional funding to add to the base.
“We know that you provide important services and programs to our constituents, you educate and prepare the workforce, and you should be rewarded for your achievements and growth,” said Sen. Tokuda, who represents the Windward Oahu neighborhoods of Kaneohe, Kailua, and Enchanted Lake.
Faculty representing the community colleges at the meeting pointed out that the benchmarks for such an incentive program need to be defined properly because typical measurements have focused on transfer or graduation rates, which may not be fair benchmarks to apply at community colleges absent other important factors.
For example, many may come to take specific courses such as accounting at a community college to help them in their current jobs, but these experiences would be discounted and be considered a failure if strictly using transfer or graduation rates as metrics of success.
Sen. Tokuda agreed that there need to be more high-value certificate programs that do not necessary require a degree because these certificate programs could be the nexus for success in the field.
Other concerns related to funding that faculty had an opportunity to raise with Sen. Tokuda included:
Meet at Ala Moana and Atkinson and march down Kalakaua to Kapahulu. Before the march at 9:30 a.m., we will be making signs at Magic Island.
A memorandum was set to all State and County Employees from the EUTF Administrator regarding the delay of premium rates. See rates below:
The Open Enrollment information and Reference Guide is available on the EUTF website: http://eutf.hawaii.gov/main-1/oe2012/OE2012-EUTF.
Employees making changes to their health plan(s) must use the revised EC-1 form (revised Sept 2011):
• Form EC-1 – Enrollment Form for Active Employees (form-fillable): http://eutf.hawaii.gov/eutf-forms/EC-1%20rev%20SEPT%202011_fill.pdf.
• Form EC-1 – Enrollment Form Instructions: http://eutf.hawaii.gov/eutf-forms/INSTRUCTIONS%20FOR%20COMPLETING%20FORM%20EC1.pdf.
To learn more about the different plans and providers, the EUTF has scheduled Open Enrollment Informational Sessions on each island. At these informational sessions, insurance carriers and the EUTF representatives will be on hand to answer your questions about the different benefit plans. The schedule may be viewed at http://eutf.hawaii.gov/main-1/oe2012/2012%20OE%20Informational%20Session%20-EE.pdf.
Employees are required to take vacation leave to attend the open enrollment sessions. The EUTF has not requested administrative time-off from the Governor for employees to attend these sessions.
For more information about the health care benefits, please visit the EUTF website at: http://eutf.hawaii.gov, or contact the EUTF at 586-7390. Questions may also be e-mailed to eutf@hawaii.gov.
1017 Palm Drive, Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone: 808.593.2157
Fax: 808.593.2160