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On Monday, Nov. 4, over 220 HGEA delegates gathered at the Hawaii Convention Center for the 27th Biennial General Assembly and to celebrate 90 years of working for Hawaii.
As the highest governing body, the general assembly considers amendments to the HGEA charter of incorporation and bylaws, along with other non-charter bylaws resolutions. Two resolutions were adopted.
The first lowers the number of signatures required for members nominated for president and board of directors from 25 to 15 and also validates the use of electronic signatures. This amendment will make it easier for interested candidates to run for office, especially if they have a small amount of unit members on their island.
The second urges state and county elected officials to immediately address hiring and retention issues as a top priority.
Guest speaker Kauai County Council Member Bernard Carvalho inspired us with his speech about leadership in civil service and Executive Director Randy Perreira called for continued perseverance and resiliency in his state of the union address. Watch our video for a recap of event highlights.
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Mahalo, members, for exercising your power to vote in this general election as it played a crucial role in securing wins for pro-labor candidates.
Dr. Kimo Alameda ousted incumbent Mayor Mitch Roth, ushering in a new chapter for leadership on the Big Island which has seen an uptick in grievances, investigations and job vacancies under the current administration.
All three of Hawaii’s congressional incumbents, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and Reps. Jill Tokuda and Ed Case, swept the ballot box and easily won reelection.
In a tremendous win for marriage equality, voters approved a constitutional amendment removing the Legislature’s authority to reserve marriage for opposite-sex couples.
While not every candidate endorsed by HGEA won, most notably the Harris-Walz ticket, we remain resolute in our fight for the rights and benefits of public employees and will continue to stay union strong against any challenges that may come.
Here’s a list of other endorsed candidates who won the general election.
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This National School Psychology Week, watch our Island Life Live segment celebrating school psychologists. Unit 13 members Amanda Garrett, based at Mililani Uka Elementary School, and Lynette Cantere, from the Dept. of Education Honolulu District Office, discussed how school psychologists help students succeed even under the strain of high vacancies and what can be done to address recruitment and retention issues.
Heartfelt mahalo to all school psychologists taking care of students’ mental health.
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For more than 10 years, Hawaii State AFL-CIO’s Labor of Love program has been connecting labor union volunteers with schools to help rehabilitate and beautify campuses. Now, through the Hawaii Employees Lifeline Program, AFL-CIO has added workforce development to its offerings.
With the help of local labor unions, HELP is partnering with schools to introduce students to future careers, like construction trades, the maritime industry and the film industry. Cathy Lederer, director of HELP, and Randy Perreira, HELP president and HGEA executive director, spoke with KITV’s Island Life Live about the program.
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Nurse recognized for saving newborn’s life
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Congratulations to Karen Oskins, Unit 9 member and obstetrics nurse at Hilo Benioff Medical Center, for receiving the 2024 Hawaii Healthcare Heroes award from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii!
In May of 2023, Karen recognized the signs of a serious intestinal malformation while assisting her coworkers in bathing newborn baby Leila and preparing her for discharge. Her expertise ensured that Leila received the care necessary to live a healthy life.
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Longest-serving Honolulu city worker honored for 60-year career
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When Howard Okamura, Unit 3 member, applied to be a clerk typist at the Honolulu Division of Motor Vehicles 60 years ago, the pay was less than $3 an hour.
Mayor Rick Blangiardi recently honored the 80-year-old public service veteran, who has no plans to retire. Mahalo for your dedication and service, Howard!
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Please do not reply to this email as we are not able to respond to messages sent to this address.
For a complete list of member discounts or for more HGEA news, visit www.hgea.org.
If you have specific inquiries, contact your local HGEA office or the HGEA Member Service Center at
(808) 543-0000 or service@hgea.org.
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