UH Funding (Archives)

UH Budget Reductions – Our perspective

It goes without saying that starting your workweek with the news headline that State Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, Chair of the powerful Senate Committee on Ways and Means, had issued a directive to all State departments to reduce their budgets by 10% and 15% to cover the costs incurred for the extensive Maui wildfire response efforts was very troubling and distressing.  While we recognize and sympathize with those negatively impacted by last year’s devastating Maui wildfires, these checkerboard solutions must be [...]

2024-02-27T18:10:01-10:00February 27, 2024|Frontpage, News Flash, UH Funding|

SENATOR DONNA MERCADO KIM – Fiscal accountability or strategic targeting?

Targeted Faculty RIFs: Senator Donna Mercado Kim’s Modus Operandi The parti-pris decisions and actions made by Hawai‘i’s legislators this past session speak volumes about their views and support over Hawai‘i’s public higher education system - namely the University of Hawai‘i. It’s especially clear that those in the Senate who continue to chip away at the core foundation that makes the University of Hawai‘i a nationally respected research institution and demand justification for its existence - will better serve our community and its [...]

2021-05-17T06:28:05-10:00May 17, 2021|Frontpage, Legislative, Monday Report, Political, UH Funding|

One Senator builds. The other destroys. Which one did UH get?

A Study of Contrasts:Lower Education Advocate, Higher Education Antagonist Transparency and accountability. These are essential qualities we can demand and expect from our elected officials whom we vote into office and are given our trust that they individually will do the right thing for Hawai‘i’s people. Unfortunately, these essential qualities appear to be absent from legislators serving on the Senate’s Higher Education Committee. Navigating through the murkiness of their actions, though their shallow narratives and innuendos, may prove to be difficult to [...]

2022-01-28T18:05:54-10:00May 10, 2021|Academic, Budget, Frontpage, Legislative, Monday Report, UH Funding|

Our Senate’s punch to the gut of UH

It's deja vu all over again with budget cuts As a faculty member of the University of Hawaii system, you play a key and significant role in supporting our state’s economic recovery. Unfortunately, our legislators, particularly those in the Senate, do not see you in this way. After having to endure a tumultuous year of on-again/off-again threats of furloughs, layoffs and pay cuts from Gov. David Ige, we find ourselves back in a tenuous situation, only this time the  problem stems from [...]

Listen to The Conversation between UH and UHPA

UHPA Executive Director Christian Fern & Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno spoke with Catherine Cruz from Hawaii Public Radio On Dec 29, Catherine Cruz of Hawaii Public Radio invited UHPA Executive Director Christian Fern and UH Provost Michael Bruno on “The Conversation” for a one-hour discussion, “UH Administration Talks Labor Contracts, Federal Aid Ahead of 2021.” The discussion is worth a listen and covers topics such as: Reorganization efforts at UH ManoaHow UH positively impacts Hawaii’s economic landscapeImpact of furloughs on the UH [...]

2020-12-30T19:50:41-10:00December 30, 2020|Frontpage, Monday Report, UH Administration, UH Funding|

Pay Increase Due in November

Negotiated 1.2% Retroactive Pay Increase Due November 20, 2020 In accordance with the Tentative Agreement over Article XXI, Salaries, of the UHPA/BOR Unit 7 Agreement, dated May 13, 2020, and the subsequent Legislature passage and Governor’s approval of Act 48, SLH 2020, the following negotiated pay raises are forthcoming:   Effective January 2, 2020 all Faculty Members shall have their base pay increased by 1.2% Effective January 1, 2021 all Faculty Members shall have their base pay increased by 1.2% The State of [...]

2022-01-28T18:05:58-10:00October 6, 2020|Contract negotiations, Financial, Frontpage, UH Funding|

Governor Ige warns of potential furloughs and pay cuts

Any salary reductions require bargaining Yesterday afternoon, Governor David Ige met with the leaders of Hawaii’s six public worker unions, including the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly. Because of the pandemic, Governor Ige said the state expects to be billions of dollars in deficit and that additional steps will be necessary to balance the budget. We want to be absolutely clear and transparent. Governor Ige has not put forward any formal proposal to UHPA nor any of the other unions to initiate [...]

2020-09-22T14:01:52-10:00September 22, 2020|Contract negotiations, Financial, Frontpage, UH Funding|

UH Key to Hawaii’s economic recovery

Editor's note: the below opinion piece by UHPA Executive Director Christian Fern appeared in the April 26, 2020 Honolulu Star Advertiser Hawaii is caught between a rock and hard place. Our state constitution requires us to have a balanced budget, with a plan that shows anticipated revenue to cover projected expenditures. Although we’ve had budget deficits in the past, as a state we have generally been good about not spending more than what we generate. Aggressive strategies worldwide to mitigate the spread [...]

2020-04-26T19:53:58-10:00April 26, 2020|COVID19, Frontpage, Opinion, UH Funding|

It’s time for UH Manoa to Honor their Commitments to Faculty Members. UHPA Prohibited Practice Filed

On December 21, UHPA filed a prohibited practice charge with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board charging Natural Science Interim Dean Kumashiro with unilaterally and improperly canceling agreements contained within letters of hire and supplemental terms of service for department chairs. This is an important case to protect the rights of faculty in advancing the ability of UHPA to bargain and enforce letters of hire and the conditions set forth within. A promise broken In the case of Dr. Kevin Bennett, UH Manoa [...]

2018-05-21T15:02:20-10:00December 29, 2015|Academic, Frontpage, Legal Judicial, Newsletter, System Policy, UH Funding|

Senator Schatz Addresses Bias in Letter to NASA

In a memo issued in March 2013, NASA grant-awarded faculty were surprised to see Hawai'i classified with "foreign destinations" for the purposes of travel approval. Despite a correction issued a year later in March 2014,  lower-level NASA officials continued to restrict approval, asserting to Hawai'i faculty that their travel monies were non-domestic. After hearing from concerned faculty, Senator Schatz wrote to NASA Administrators in an effort to bring awareness to the difficulties which state researchers frequently face; namely, that it can be [...]

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