Hawaii public school teachers late Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to approve what their union has called their strongest contract ever, with pay raises totaling approximately 14.5% over four years, raising income for the average teacher by around $10,000.
The collective bargaining agreement covering 13,500 teachers represented by the Hawaii State Teachers Association required a minimum 50% approval in order to be ratified. It drew approval from 92% of the nearly
7,000 valid ballots cast, and will become effective starting July 1, through June 30, 2027.
Gov. Josh Green, who was personally involved in final negotiations, said in a statement Wednesday night that “we have a deep appreciation for Hawaii’s teachers, and this contract was meant to demonstrate that. By raising starting salaries to $50,000, we hope more of Hawaii’s young men and women will aspire to become teachers.”
The $577 million deal will provide average annual pay raises of 3.4% per year, increasing the average salary for Hawaii public school teachers from approximately $70,000 to $80,000 over the life of the contract.
The contract “will help to recruit and retain teachers and give further stability for our keiki to have highly qualified teachers in their classrooms,” HSTA President Osa Tui Jr. said in a news release.
The union has pushed for significant increases to combat Hawaii’s chronic teacher shortage, especially since local teacher salaries trail national standards, and lose value further when the state’s high cost of living is factored in. As the nation’s only statewide school district, Hawaii is routinely short by more than 1,000 teachers.
Other contract details
include:
>> Addition of a Class VIII to the previously seven-class salary schedule. The pay classes are based on teachers’ education and continuing professional development. The change is designed to benefit about 4,000 teachers who could earn 4% more by qualifying for the new pay class.
>> Permanent incorporation of 21 hours of job-embedded professional development and three
professional development credits.
>> A one-time $3,000
payment to about 4,000 teachers who are still “compressed” in parts of the
salary ladder despite a legislative fix made in 2022.
>> Increases in supplemental pay for certain teachers working after hours, such as department and grade-level heads; librarians; band, drama and chorus teachers; and agriculture teachers. Mentor teachers were added to this category. Supplementary pay will range from $750 for first-year mentor teachers to $5,600 for high school band and orchestra teachers.
