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HGEA will be closed on Monday, Jan. 20 in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
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Jan. 9 is National Law Enforcement Officers Appreciation Day.
Meet Nicholas Pregill, Unit 14 harbor enforcement officer, who has served and protected his community for more than 10 years. Beyond his duties of law enforcement, he also teaches our keiki to make positive choices and say no to drugs through the DARE program.
Mahalo for all that you do Nicholas!
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We’re Upgrading to Electronic Voting
Big news! We’re switching to electronic voting for the next HGEA Board of Directors election. To receive your ballot, make sure your contact info is current at hgea.org/mycontact.
Nominations Open Wednesday, Feb. 5
Election for the 2025-2027 term of office for the HGEA president and board of directors will be held this spring. Active members interested in running will be able to pick up a candidate packet from HGEA offices or at hgea.org/candidate starting Wednesday, Feb. 5.
In addition to electing the president, active members will elect directors for Units 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, Hawaii-at-large, Kauai-at-large, Maui-at-large, and Oahu-at-large.
The president and directors will serve from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027. Positions are voluntary and unpaid.
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For decades, public service retirees and their families have faced unfair reductions in Social Security benefits due to two provisions – the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision.
These provisions essentially penalized public service workers because they have pensions from public-sector work. Now, the Social Fairness Act, which fully repeals GPO and WEP has been signed into law by President Joe Biden after passing the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support.
This victory comes after years of advocacy from AFSCME and its affiliate unions with 8,000 phone calls made and 28,000 letters sent to elected leaders in this year alone. “Many will finally be able to enjoy retirement after a lifetime of service,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders.
To determine how this will impact you, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or visit the SSA website at www.ssa.gov.
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Join us for a night of college basketball and Beeman’s Bigger Bash, which includes door prizes and special guest appearances:
Saturday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m.
SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
UH vs. UC Irvine
In honor of the event’s namesake and goal to sell out the arena, the first 250 HGEA members who register can attend for free. After that, discounted tickets are available for $5 per adult (18 years and under can enter for free). Deadline to register is Jan. 14.
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After more than 50 years of service as a steward and Unit 3 visitor information program assistant, Merle Merky Chun retired on Dec. 31. Mahalo for all that you have done for the community, Merky. From all of us at HGEA, we wish you a very happy retirement!
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Mahalo, Pharmacists!
Jan. 12 is National Pharmacist Day.
Mahalo to all of our skilled pharmacists for their selfless service, ensuring the health and wellbeing of our community.
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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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