Our Legacy
HGEA was started by Honolulu Board of Water Supply managerial employees in 1934 in response to a 10 percent pay cut. Initially non-partisan and non-political, it found it needed to be active in the political arena to survive. HGEA became a key player in the “Democratic Revolution of 1954,” and held a close alignment with the movers and shakers of Hawaii politics during the 1960s.
Gradually, the union came to realize that no amount of political muscle could guarantee government workers favorable treatment at the legislature. That led HGEA to strongly support collective bargaining in the public sector. HGEA led the fight to change the Hawaii State Constitution during the 1968 Constitutional Convention to give collective bargaining rights to public employees.
In 1970, the state legislature passed the Hawaii Public Employment Collective Bargaining Law. Representative elections were held for the public sector’s 13 bargaining units, with HGEA ultimately winning the right to represent seven units.
In 1971, HGEA affiliated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents 1.6 million public employees nationwide.
Join us in holding anti-union extremists and greedy corporations accountable for enriching themselves at the expense of working people.
1934
HGEA is established by Honolulu Board of Water Supply managerial employees in 1934 in response to a 10 percent pay cut and the elimination of 229 public employee jobs.
1935
Fred Ohrt, the head of Board of Water Supply staff, led the fledgling union’s first fights against the Territorial Legislature to reverse its earlier 10% pay cut. HGEA succeeded.
1939
HGEA’s lobbying efforts resulted in the passage of the Civil Service Act, shoring up protections to ensure fair pay and a job system based on merit for government employees.
1941
HGEA launches lobbying effort to beat back the Republican threat to ax civil service. The Legislature passed the Hawaiian Standard Classification law, signed by Territorial Gov. Judd, which guaranteed a five-day work week and created a system of job classifications for territorial government employees.
1954
Following the Republican Legislature’s cut to salary rates and benefits, HGEA launched a voter registration drive and threw its support behind the Democratic Party. This effort led to a historic landslide election, establishing Hawaii as a Democratic stronghold.
1968
During the state’s historic Constitutional Convention, HGEA led the fight to change the Hawaii State Constitution to give collective bargaining rights to public employees.
1971
On the heels of the Constitutional Convention, HGEA pushed for the state legislature to pass the Hawaii Public Employment Collective Bargaining Law. Elections were held for the public sector’s 13 bargaining units, with HGEA ultimately winning the right to represent six units.
1971
HGEA affiliated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents 1.6 million public employees nationwide.
1971
Executive Director David Trask and Gov. John Burns sign Unit’s 6 first collective bargaining contract.
1979
Unit 9’s registered professional nurses joined HGEA, increasing the breadth and strength of the public workers the union represents.
1994
Some 16,000 members of Units 3, 4 and 13 went on strike, shutting down or drastically reducing government services throughout Hawaii for 12 days. It was the first and only strike in HGEA’s history.
1995
HGEA supported legislation that ended its right to strike. In its place, HGEA gained final and binding arbitration, which settles collective bargaining disputes without disrupting public services.
2008
Randy Perreira became the union’s fifth (and current) executive director. Perreira rose through the ranks of HGEA, beginning his career as a union agent in 1983 and later holding the role of field services director and deputy executive director.
2013
Unit 14, representing state law enforcement officers, is created.
2021
Unit 15, representing state and county ocean safety and water safety officers, is created.
TODAY
Now serving more than 37,000 members, HGEA continues to fight for its members through collective bargaining, legislative advocacy and political action.
