Former Mayor Mitch Roth wants to celebrate victory from the unemployment line by touting a temporary hazard pay decision that screws over his own employees. This is exactly why we fought so hard to kick him out of office.

We received the arbitrator’s apparent decision for THP for Hawaii County employees over the weekend, but the document was undated and unsigned. Not to mention it contains numerous flaws and inconsistencies that need clarification.

The decision falls woefully short of what you deserve. It would limit your payout to a maximum of six months at the 15% hazard pay differential rate. In short, this is unacceptable.

You put your health and safety at risk to keep the county running for two years during the pandemic, and you deserve fair compensation for it. We’re looking at all our options, including an appeal in the courts.

Roth wants to use his last official day in office sending out press statements that celebrate him breaking his contract with his employees? Fine by us. We look forward to working with a more collaborative mayor who respects workers’ rights.