UHPA Expands Leadership Team

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This week, UHPA gladly welcomed Jamie Mow to our leadership team as an associate executive director.

“We’re glad to have Jamie on our team to broaden the capabilities of our leadership team and to prepare UHPA for the future.” said Christian Fern, UHPA executive director. “Jamieʻs background will be a valuable asset to the UHPA team.”

Jamie has extensive leadership and legal affairs experience.

Prior to joining UHPA, Jamie had been an investigator and compliance officer with Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard’s Office of the Assistant Inspector General since August 2020, responsible for conducting audits on shipyard programs, operations, and processes, and leading investigations into allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, and harassment, or related civil administrative or criminal matters.

She also served at HMSA’s legal affairs department from April 2011 to August 2020, starting as an associate counsel, and rising to counsel and eventually counsel and manager. In those roles, she provided legal advice and counsel to HMSA and was responsible for research and interpretation of state and federal law and regulations, corporate governance, and defending the organization in litigation and arbitration.

Jamie also served as a law clerk to Chief Administrative Judge Bert Ayabe in the First Circuit Court in the Hawaii State Judiciary. She also was a senior tax associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in San Jose, California from 2006 to 2009.
The Mānoa resident received a bachelor of arts degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from the University of Washington, in Seattle, and a law degree from the University of San Francisco.

Political Action Fund Notice

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The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA) has an active Political Endorsement Committee that has participated in state & federal elections through political endorsements, contributions to candidates and independent expenditures on behalf of our endorsed candidates. The UHPA Board of Directors has taken action to allocate from the dues of all UHPA Active members an amount of $5.00 a month to be placed in a Political Action Fund. The Fund will be subject to the accounting requirements and used for purposes consistent with the Hawaii State Election and Federal Election laws.

Our policy allows Active members of UHPA to object to the $5.00 per month allocation to the Political Action Fund. This will not lower their total dues, but it will not add to the total amount of funds allocated for partisan political purposes with respect to candidate endorsements and contributions. If an Active member chooses to object to this funding, they will not be allowed to vote on any recommendation for candidate endorsements made by the Board of Directors.

The request to withhold funding from the Political Action account must be made each year. If you do not wish to contribute to the “candidate endorsement” fund for fiscal year 2023-2024, then you must sign, date, and return an UHPA Allocation Objection Form by September 29, 2023.

The UHPA Board of Directors has taken this action in response to the strong feelings held by some members that the union should not participate in making candidate endorsements or political contributions. However, we believe it is essential for a public sector union to maintain a political presence since the fundamental work of our bargaining with the State of Hawaii is ultimately subject to legislative approval.

EUTF Rates & Bylaws Voting Results Published

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EUTF Voting Results 

Published on 4/14/23, the results are as follows:

Should the terms of the EUTF Tentative Agreement effective July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025 be accepted?

  • 99.4% voted in favor
  • 0.6% voted to reject

Your new EUTF Rates

Based on the now-ratified EUTF Agreement, these are the rates going into effect on July 1, 2023.  EUTF Active Open Enrollment ends on Friday, May 12, 2023.  Get more information about EUTF Active Open Enrollment.  

Amended and Restated Bylaws Results

Published on 4/21/23, the results are as follows:

Should the Proposed Resolution to Adopt the Revised Amended and Restated Bylaws of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly Be Approved?

  • 97.7% voted in favor
  • 2.3% voted not in favor

Defending Against Micromanagement of UH

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Holding Power In Check to Protect UH Faculty

UHPA is not afraid to speak up to those who abuse their power since it ensures those with  authority stay in their lane. As the exclusive bargaining representative for UH faculty, UHPA never hesitates to voice our concerns when there is a threat to UH faculty.

UHPA was asked by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (“Key state senators call for University of Hawaii President Lassner to resign” see also PrintReplica link) to share our perspectives about a few Hawai‘i State senators who are asking for UH President David Lassner’s resignation.

Unwarranted Attacks on UH Hurts Us All

Any unwarranted public attack on the UH President is an attack on the entire UH community with potential negative implications on funding for the UH.  These irresponsible actions by a few legislators give our families pause to consider sending their children to UH. Who would want to attend a university that legislators keep (falsely) accusing of waste and ineffectiveness? A recent Star-Advertiser editorial has similar sentiments: 

“Senate committee leaders, who do help shape the budget enacted for the university, thus should back off their impulse to micromanage policy decisions, the hiring of the president chief among them. This public airing of tensions could damage perceptions about UH among research funding institutions and the general public.”

“Unclear, unwise attack on Lassner” see also PrintReplica link

Let’s Recognize Positive Accomplishments

While we have had our differences with the UH administration, we have always managed to reach amicable solutions. We expressed our support for the UH and the progress we have made in delivering results for Hawai‘i students and research in collaboration with the President and the UH Administration, particularly during the pandemic. The senators should recognize the President’s accomplishments as a result of the meaningful and productive collaboration with UHPA faculty and the positive impact it has had on the students obtaining degrees, diplomas and certificates to enter the workforce here in Hawai‘i. UH is high in national rankings and our families should feel proud to send their children to any one of the ten campuses in the UH System.

A Deeper, Recurring Challenge

We see a recurring pattern that is very disturbing – something that is much deeper and seething. These disrespectful attempts of legislative micromanagement are a flagrant disregard of the established governance structure of the UH system. 

The UH Structure Was Designed to Protect Against This

While lawmakers are certainly entitled to their opinions, there are legal limits to their authority. The UH Board of Regents is constitutionally empowered with exclusive management of the UH system. The governance structure of the UH was intentionally designed to maintain order and stability for the UH.  These protocols must remain in place to prevent any circumventions that will usurp the authority of the Board of Regents and allow legislative micromanagement of UH affairs .

UH Autonomy is Backed by the State Constitution

The Hawai‘i State Constitution, Article X (Education), Section 6 clearly defines the power of the UH Board of Regents:

“The board shall have the power to formulate policy, and to exercise control over the university through its executive officer, the president of the university, who shall be appointed by the board.  The board shall also have exclusive jurisdiction over the internal structure, management, and operation of the university.”

And Supported by Hawai‘i Law

The current Hawai‘i Revised Statutes (HRS) under §304A-105 further validates this: 

“The board of regents shall have management and control of the general affairs, and exclusive jurisdiction over the internal structure, management, and operation of the university.”

We Will Protect Faculty 

UHPA will always vehemently defend our faculty against unfair attacks by lawmakers. We point to our UHPA-BOR Agreement agreement based on Hawai‘i Revised Statutes (HRS), Chapter 89, §89-6(d)(4), which defines the Employer as: the Governor, the UH Board of Regents, and the UH President.  There is no law that defines legislators as the UH Employer. 

We’re purposely putting this in big, bold type so everyone understands: 

UHPA Will Staunchly Defend Faculty Against Micromanagement, Especially From Legislators.

Sarah Beamer Joins UHPA as Assistant Executive Director

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Sarah Beamer, an attorney with 10 years of government and political experience that included serving as executive director of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, has joined the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA) as an assistant executive director. She is the newest member of the UHPA leadership team, reporting to Christian Fern, UHPA’s executive director. 

Debi Hartmann, UHPA associate executive director, who plans to retire in mid-2023, is serving as Beamer’s mentor and advisor to ensure a smooth transition for the union that represents more than 3,000 UH faculty members. 

“We’re glad to welcome Sarah to our UHPA team to support our growing number of members across all 10 University of Hawai‘i campuses statewide,” Fern said. “She brings valuable qualities to UHPA — a passion for advocacy, commitment to supporting Hawaii families, meticulous attention to detail, and experience with developing and managing complex programs.”

Prior to joining UHPA, Beamer had been with the state’s Hawaii Public Housing Authority since 2016, serving in various roles, including compliance and evaluation specialist, acting Section 8 branch chief, and housing planner. She collaborated with branch chiefs, consultants, and the state’s Office of the Attorney General to review and amend administrative rules, and provided research, analysis, and interpretation of federal, state, and county laws.

Beamer also served in the legislature from 2014 to 2016, as a bills research analyst for the Senate Committees on Judiciary and Labor, Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, and Transportation and Labor, and as a deputy bills chief for the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

She also held a number of positions in the Democratic Party of Hawaii, including that of compliance director and executive director, and was responsible for developing and managing the Democratic State Biennial Convention from 2010 to 2014.

Beamer, a downtown Honolulu resident, received a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice and a bachelor of arts degree in history with minors in international studies and political science, both from Loyola University Chicago; and earned a law degree from the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law.

In Memory of Tony Gill

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IN MEMORIAM Tony Gill: A Friend and Advocate of UHPA, UH Faculty and the Labor Community

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Tony Gill on Feb. 6, 2023, who represented UHPA for over 40 years, ending his hard fought and courageous battle to overcome cancer. He was 72. 

UHPA’s Attorney of Record

Tony, who was a founding partner with the law firm Gill, Zukeran & Sgan, was instrumental in guiding UHPA and its faculty members through difficult collective bargaining negotiations and representing UHPA as well as individual faculty members in contentious Hawaii Labor Relations Board hearings, in the state courts of Hawai‘i, and before both the Federal District Court and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Tony Gill

Champion of Public Employees

“Tony was a staunch advocate of UHPA and UH faculty members,” said UHPA Executive Director Christian Fern. “He meticulously pored over legal documents and developed articulate and strategic responses to support UHPA faculty members. No piece of information escaped his attention and his razor-sharp mind, and yet he always maintained a sense of humor even in the most trying times. He was a champion of fairness and equity, and he will be dearly missed.”     

Transformational Legal Figure in the Public Sector

JN Musto, UHPA’s former executive director who retired in 2015 after serving the faculty union for 35 years, said: “Tony will be remembered as more than the eldest son of Congressman and Lt. Governor Tom Gill.  Tony’s ideas, intelligence, and legal skills forged meaning into Hawai‘i’s public sector labor law that has benefited all public employees beyond just the employment conditions of the faculty members he represented at the University of Hawai‘i.  This malihini and the local boy formed both a professional and personal relationship that made us both more effective members of the labor union community.”

A Lifetime of Accomplishments

Tony’s influence left a lasting impact on faculty and the broader community. Some of Tony’s most notable events and accomplishments include:

  • Tom Gillʻs and Tony Gill’s defense of the arbitration and enforcement of the Unit 7 collective bargaining agreement before the Hawaii State Supreme Court that granted UHPA faculty member Alice Daeufer’s tenure. 
  • Tonyʻs appearance in Hawaii Federal District Court upholding the terms of the Unit 7  collective bargaining agreement and preventing Ben Cayetano’s unilateral implementation of the payroll lag on faculty members. 
  • Tony’s participation in the preparation of both the first and second UHPA faculty member strikes, and legal work protecting the rights of faculty members while they were out on strike from dismissal and retribution.  
  • Tonyʻs oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals in the 9th Circuit in defense of having closed primary elections limited to the registered members of the candidates’ political parties. Unfortunately, he didn’t prevail, so Hawai‘i remains an open primary and you do not have to be a party member to vote in determining the party’s candidates.

A Great Loss For Us All

Tony is survived by his wife, Ashley Maynard, sons Thomas and Michael; sister Andrea, brothers Eric, Ivan, Tim and Gary. Information about a celebration of life service will be made available when details are finalized. 
Our deepest sympathy and condolences to the entire Gill ‘Ohana.

Political Action Fund Objection

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The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA) has an active Political Endorsement Committee that has participated in state & federal elections through political endorsements, contributions to candidates and independent expenditures on behalf of our endorsed candidates. The UHPA Board of Directors has taken action to allocate from the dues of all UHPA Active members an amount of $5.00 a month to be placed in a Political Action Fund. The Fund will be subject to the accounting requirements and used for purposes consistent with the Hawaii State Election and Federal Election laws.

Our policy allows Active members of UHPA to object to the $5.00 per month allocation to the Political Action Fund. This will not lower their total dues, but it will not add to the total amount of funds allocated for partisan political purposes with respect to candidate endorsements and contributions. If an Active member chooses to object to this funding, they will not be allowed to vote on any recommendation for candidate endorsements made by the Board of Directors.

The request to withhold funding from the Political Action account must be made each year. If you do not wish to contribute to the “candidate endorsement” fund for fiscal year 2022-2023, then you must sign, date, and return an UHPA Allocation Objection Form by September 16, 2022.

The UHPA Board of Directors has taken this action in response to the strong feelings held by some members that the union should not participate in making candidate endorsements or political contributions. However, we believe it is essential for a public sector union to maintain a political presence since the fundamental work of our bargaining with the State of Hawaii is ultimately subject to legislative approval.

Announcement of New UHPA Faculty Representatives

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Effective June 1, 2022 the newly elected UHPA Faculty Representatives will start their three-year terms. They are an important connection between the UHPA leadership and our Active membership.

Click here to find the UHPA Faculty Representative representing your department.

Unfortunately, only 74 of the 134 available positions are currently filled. If the Faculty Representative position for your department is vacant and you are interested in serving, please send us an email at feedback@uhpa.org.

During the first week of June 2022, all current Faculty Representatives will receive an email from UHPA with important information related to this position.

UHPA Members Notice of Annual Membership Meeting 2022

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Zoom webinar registration links have been sent via email. Please check your inbox for a copy of the below and a link to register.

UHPA MEMBERS

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly will hold its  48th Annual Membership Meeting via Zoom:  

Friday, April 22, 2022

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

As an UHPA member you will be sent an invitation via email to join us for UHPA’s virtual Annual Meeting as we present UHPA’s new Board Members and annual reports. 

To attend the virtual zoom webinar, you must have a zoom account and register using the link provided via email. For security purposes, please be sure you register with your name and an email address UHPA has on file. Once you register, UHPA staff will verify names and email addresses. Only verified names and emails will be approved.  Once you are approved, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. 

You must register in advance by April 20, 2022 for this webinar.

The Zoom Webinar will be open at 11:25 a.m.  Be sure you are logged into your email account that you registered with when logging into the Zoom Webinar or else Zoom will not allow you access.

We hope you will join us! If you have any difficulty in registering, please contact UHPA Staff Member Kathy Yamashita.

Linda Sawai retiring, Joseph Sam joins UHPA

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Linda Sawai Retiring in December; 

Joseph Sam to Succeed Her as UHPA Associate Executive Director

A strong leadership team is critically important for the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly. At every turn, there are new challenges facing UH faculty. UHPA must constantly be vigilant, anticipate what’s ahead, and be prepared to take action.

Linda is a Backbone of UHPA

Linda Sawai

Linda Sawai has been a vital member of our leadership team as an Associate Executive Director.  Hired by past Executive Director J. N. Musto in 1983 she has been the backbone of our organization, offering a historical perspective, depth of insight, and bringing strength and stability to balance the often frenetic pace at which we must relentlessly work to defend and uphold the rights of our faculty members. 


Linda has also kept UHPA in sound financial shape, responsible for all aspects of accounting and budgeting. Based on everything that Linda provided UHPA, it was extremely difficult for us to accept that she plans to retire at the end of this year.  Nevertheless, we respect her decision and we wish her all the best as she begins a new chapter in her life. She may not be involved with the day-to-day operations of UHPA in the coming new year, but she will always remain and be a part of the UHPA ‘ohana.  Regardless of whether she is not here or retired, we all know that she will be there for UHPA and a die-hard advocate of our members.

Words cannot fully express our deepest appreciation and gratitude to Linda for her nearly four decades of superior leadership, service, motivation, and for the positive atmosphere she has provided to UHPA and its membership.  Linda is an inspiration to all and a model of a dedicated and passionate individual who supports the labor movement and all of Hawaiiʻs working families.  This is a retirement well deserved and earned.


UHPA Welcomes Joseph Sam

Joseph Sam

As you can imagine, finding someone to succeed her was not easy. Fortunately, however, we have been able to lure Joseph Sam from Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) to join our leadership team.

Joe, a certified public accountant, will report directly  to Christian Fern and will be responsible for financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and accounting to ensure the union continues to operate in a financially sound manner. Linda leaves big shoes to fill and having Joe on board now ensures there will be a smooth leadership and functional transition over the next four months.


Joe’s Extensive Experience 

Joe was a valued team member of HMSA. He served in progressively responsible roles at HMSA for 16 years, for the past two years  as Director of Government Programs. He started at HMSA in 2005 as Senior Internal Auditor, and was promoted to other key positions, including Senior Business Analyst and Senior Manager of HMO and Government Reporting.

We’re very fortunate to have Joe on our leadership team as his experience in financial management for large and complex organizations and programs will be an asset to UHPA and the faculty we represent.

Another UH Alumnus Joins UHPA

Joe is a UH alumnus. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Santa Clara University and a Master of Business Administration degree with a Concentration in Accounting from the University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa. He is involved in the community and currently serves as the Treasurer of Helping Hands Hawai‘i and a member of the American Heart Association’s Hawaii Young Leaders.

Please join us in congratulating Linda on her upcoming retirement in December 2021 and welcoming Joe to the UHPA team!