Maui settles COVID hazard pay grievance with police for $13 million

Peter Boylan, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
·4 min read
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Feb. 27—Less than a month after an arbitrator ruled that thousands of state workers were owed COVID-19 hazard pay for their efforts during the pandemic, the County of Maui settled a grievance with the Maui Police Department for about $13 million.

Less than a month after an arbitrator ruled that thousands of state workers were owed COVID-19 hazard pay for their efforts during the pandemic, the County of Maui settled a grievance with the Maui Police Department for about $13 million.

The Maui settlement covers officers employed between March 4, 2020, and March 25, 2023. Officers who worked patrol will receive 20 % hazard pay, while all others will receive hazard pay at a 15 % rate. Those who had vacation hours, sick time or worked from home will not get hazard pay rates. A rookie Maui police officer has a starting salary of $6, 032 a month.

"We believe the agreement honors the risks taken by Maui's police officers who worked through the pandemic, putting their health and the health of their families at risk so they could serve our community, " said Nicholas Krau, SHOPO Maui County Chapter chair. "We appreciate Mayor Bissen and the Maui County Council's leadership and support of Maui's police officers, and we are thankful for the accessibility and professionalism of Managing Director Josiah Nishita throughout this long but civil process."

Maui Corporation Counsel Victoria J. Takayesu and First Deputy Mimi DesJardins did not respond to Honolulu Star-Advertiser requests for comment.

The issue of performing gov ­ernment functions during the COVID-19 pandemic for hazard pay remains a contentious one between government entities and their unionized workforces.

In November 2022 the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers filed four separate grievances challenging the denial of hazard pay amounting to a 25 % pay differential for the peak years of the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and March of this year.

SHOPO has pending grievances with Honolulu, Kauai and Hawaii counties. For a starting metropolitan police officer in Honolulu in 2022 who earns $71, 656 a year, the temporary hazard pay would amount to $17, 914 per year.

"SHOPO commends Maui County for being the first county to step forward and recognize the sacrifices and professionalism of Hawaii's police officers throughout the pandemic, " stated Robert Cavaco, president of SHOPO. "We are hopeful the other three counties follow Maui's lead and work with us in resolving the hazard pay issue for the rest of our officers."

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, officers who "worked in a patrol function through the pandemic " will receive 20 % hazard pay based on the actual number of hours worked during the pandemic. All other officers will receive 15 % hazard pay. The overtime rate for all officers will be 15 % for actual overtime hours worked during the pandemic, calculated at a straight time rate and not the time-and-a-half overtime rate, according to SHOPO.

SHOPO has one collective bargaining agreement for all police officers. Hazard pay however, is handled by each county and is at capped at 25 % of an officer's salary.

All four counties denied SHOPO's ask for hazard pay for officers who worked during the pandemic.

SHOPO has three active grievances with the Honolulu, Hawaii and Kauai police departments.

"The issue of temporary hazard pay between SHOPO and the County of Kauai remains ongoing. No settlement has been reached at this time, " wrote Annette L. Anderson, human resources director for the County of Kauai, in a statement to the Star-Advertiser.

On Oahu during the two-year period in question, 721 HPD officers were sidelined after either being infected with COVID-19 or forced to isolate because of exposure, or while experiencing symptoms. There is one documented incident of an officer contracting the virus from a suspect who tested positive for COVID-19.

"The City and County of Honolulu is currently talking to the public sector unions regarding a fair distribution of hazard pay to City essential workers in light of existing arbitration awards, current arbitration proceedings, settlements in other state and county bargaining units, mitigation measures taken by the City and County and our City's financial capacity, " said Managing Director Mike Formby, in a statement to the Star-Advertiser.

Under SHOPO's contract with HPD, the starting annual pay for a Honolulu metropolitan police officer is $71, 656, with new recruits beginning their training at HPD's Ke Kula Makai Training Academy earning $68, 934.