Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration and two major city unions have finalized multimillion-dollar settlements involving dangerous COVID-19-era work.

At a special meeting Wednesday, the City Council unanimously voted to authorize and resolve temporary hazard pay, or THP, claims for affected employees and members of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers and United Public Workers of Hawaii, who performed essential government functions during the pandemic.

Both claims — estimated to cost the city roughly $76 million — cover the period March 5, 2020, through March 5, 2022, the city said.

Before the Council vote, city Corporation Counsel Dana Viola verbally requested the panel’s approval of hazard pay agreements for the two unions.

Likewise, some on the Council expressed satisfaction over the city’s latest pacts.

“Thank you to the administration for negotiating with SHOPO and UPW to get to this stage,” said Esther Kia‘aina. “I’m looking forward to your completion of negotiations with HGEA.”

She added “as a matter of equity, even if it’s not in their contracts, I support hazard pay for the Teamsters as well as for HFD” firefighters union.

Andria Tupola said she previously introduced a resolution “advocating” for hazard pay for “our bus drivers” too.

“It was such an unfortunate circumstance … there were a lot of (bus drivers) that were exposed. Many of them faced medical symptoms because of what they did to put their lives on the front lines,” she added. “So I’m excited that this is the first part of the negotiations and, of course, we support the administration moving forward to complete the rest of them.”

In a written statement, Council Chair Tommy Waters echoed similar sentiments.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our city’s frontline employees and first responders ensured that public safety, essential services, and critical infrastructure remained operational despite the risks to themselves and their families,” Waters said. “Today’s hazard pay settlement is more than just compensation — it is a recognition of their sacrifices and reaffirming our commitment to fairness.”

“Public workers are the backbone of our communities,” he added, “and the Council will continue to honor their contributions and ensure they receive the respect and compensation they deserve.”

Neither SHOPO nor UPW could be immediately reached for comment over final approval of their respective hazard pay claims.

But in late February, SHOPO overwhelmingly voted to accept a COVID-19 hazard pay settlement worth approximately $45 million — based on membership and including consideration of overtime hours, according to the city — with initial payouts of $20,000 or more by June 30.

City officials set aside about $115 million to settle hazard pay claims and grievances arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

SHOPO’s temporary negotiated settlement agreement covers eligible Tier 1 employees at 15% of the officer’s base pay and will pay 80% by June 30.

The remaining 20% of the payout will be converted to vacation hours. In 2022, SHOPO asked for 25% hazard pay for officers in all counties statewide.

UPW, which represents about 3,000 blue-collar workers in the city including its waste haulers, will see a payment plan for a 15% pay increase for non-leave hours worked, with overtime hours figured at base pay rate, the city said.

Active duty employees can receive 90% cash and 10% vacation credit converted to vacation hours.

Optionally, UPW workers can receive a 50% cash-out at the settlement’s one-year anniversary of its effective date, or March 12, 2026; or a 50% or remainder cash-out at the settlement’s two-year anniversary, or March 12, 2027, the city said.

Based on membership and overtime hours, UPW’s payment plan is estimated to cost the city approximately $31 million, the Mayor’s Office indicated.

This week, city Managing Director Mike Formby told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that “the city is in the process of computing THP by worker on a case-to-case basis and will remit THP to the city’s essential workers, who we sincerely thank for their dedication and service during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Formby also noted talks over hazard pay agreements with other unionized city workers are ongoing, notably with the Hawaii Government Employees Association.

And he asserted consideration of “temporary hazard pay for the city firefighters and employees of Oahu Transit Services — TheBus and TheHandi-Van — requires THP appropriations” in the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget, which is now under Council consideration for possible approval by June.

As far as having a deadline to forge any new union agreements, he said for “HGEA, as soon as an agreement is reached.”

“For firefighters and Oahu Transit Services’ employees, within a reasonable time after a THP appropriation is received,” Formby added.

Meanwhile, the Council’s vote came after months of both the city administration and Council pledging to repay eligible, unionized city workers employed during the pandemic “temporary hazard pay” in order to avoid legal entanglements.

Hawaii’s government worker unions, including HGEA, UPW and SHOPO, pressured the state and its four major counties to pay back their respective memberships for pandemic-era work.

In 2024, UPW Local 646 — among other city unions — worked to gain COVID-­19-­related hazard pay from the city for its membership via arbitration.

On July 30 arbitrator and former Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Simeon R. Acoba Jr. issued a decision on UPW’s hazard pay grievance against the city.

According to UPW documents filed in August with the 1st Circuit Court, the award is for a hazard pay differential of 15% for the designated two-year period.

“Individual employee payments shall be adjusted for changes in working conditions and employee duties during the (grievance period),” the filings state. “The UPW and the city shall act in cooperation and consultation with each other in administering the individual employee payments.”

Originally, UPW sought a 25% pay differential based on individual workers’ minimum pay grades, UPW spokesperson Maleko McDonnell previously told the Star-Advertiser.