BY JIM DOOLEY – Not so fast, governor.
That’s the message Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle issued shortly after Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced that the state and counties have agreed to a new contract with the state’s largest government workers union.
Carlisle said that when he spoke about the deal with Abercrombie this morning, there were “provisions I could not agree with, including additional paid time off for government workers.”
Abercrombie issued a press release earlier in the afternoon which said the state and counties had agreed on a new two-year deal with the Hawaii Government Employees Association which included a five per cent pay cut and a 10 per cent increase in employee payments for health benefits.
Carlisle said when he spoke with Abercrombie this morning, he was told about the pay reduction and change in health benefit payments.
“The provisions that I could not agree with were not included in the Governor’s press release,” Carlisle said in a written statement.
“I need to find out in writing the truth and the whole truth about the provisions of the tentative agreement. Once we have received all of the provisions in writing, we will need to determine the financial impact on the City.”
Abercrombie spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said he governor had “no comment” on Carlisle’s statement.
The HGEA deal still must be approved by union members.
Abercrombie said it will save $65 million in labor costs in the next fiscal year and $59 million in the following year.