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Milestones

Celebrating 75 years of working together


Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: 75 years of AFSCME

Established

1934 by Honolulu Board of Water Supply managerial staff and other territorial and county employees in response to a 10 percent pay cut.

AFSCME

Affiliated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents 1.3 million public employees and health care workers nationwide.

HGEA milestones

1934: HGEA is established.
1935: Campbell Crozier elected first HGEA president.
Salary Restoration Act restores 10 percent pay cut.
1937: Charles Kendall elected HGEA president.
HGEA takes non-militant, non-partisan-politics position.
1938: Association gains members on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Hawaii.
First General Council held.
1939: Civil Service Law passes.
1941: Classification Act guarantees five-day work week, creates system and job classification for territorial government employees.
1945: Big Island and Kauai chapters are formed.
1946: Maui Chapter is established. Charles Kendall becomes HGEA’s first Executive Director.
1949: Public employees allowed to choose a union or association as their exclusive representative.
1953: Legislature cuts sick leave and vacation benefits, freezes salaries and downgrades pay rates.
1954: HGEA General Council reverses ban on political action.
HGEA throws support behind “Democratic Revolution.”
1959: Statehood for Hawaii.
1961: HGEA becomes incorporated.
Health Fund Law establishes state-subsidized medical insurance.
Equal Pay for Equal Work Act makes pay scales uniform throughout state.
1968: State Constitutional Convention approves public employees’ right to collective bargaining.
1970: Collective Bargaining in Public Employment Law passes.
1971: HGEA affiliates with AFSCME.
HGEA becomes exclusive representative for Units 2 and 6.
1972: Units 3, 4, and 13 choose HGEA.
1973: Unit 8 joins HGEA.
1974: Managerial and Excluded Employees Unit organizes.
1979: Unit 9 chooses HGEA.
1984: HGEA, UPW, HSTA, and UHPA form coalition and nearly strike.
1994: Units 3, 4, and 13 stage first-ever strike.
1995: HGEA gains final and binding arbitration.
HGEA becomes first union to offer its own Internet service in Hawaii.
1996: Arbitration panels award pay raises to HGEA units.
1999: HGEA starts its own radio show, “Voice of Labor.”
2001: Legislature removes arbitration and reinstates right to strike.
2002: Legislature restores arbitration for Unit 9.
2003: Legislature overrides veto to restore arbitration for Units 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 13.
2005: Arbitration panels award pay raises to HGEA bargaining units.
2007: HGEA and the employers reach a contract settlement, including increases to pay and other non-cost items for Units 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 13.
Arbitration panel awards pay raises to Unit 9.
2008: HGEA unveils its new Statewide Education & Training program.
2010: HGEA joins social network sites Facebook and Twitter.

 
HGEA Headquarters &
Oahu Division Office

888 Mililani St., Suite 601
Honolulu, HI 96813-2991
P: (808) 543-0000
F: (808) 528-4059
E: oahudiv@hgea.org
Hawaii Division Office
495 Manono St.
Hilo, HI 96720-4422
P: (808) 935-6841
F: (808) 961-2437
E: hawaiidiv@hgea.org
Maui Division Office
2145 Kaohu St., Suite 206
Wailuku, HI 96793-2257
P: (808) 244-5508
F: (808) 244-3621
E: mauidiv@hgea.org
Kauai Division Office
3213 Akahi St.
Lihue, HI 96766-1108
P: (808) 245-6751
F: (808) 245-9632
E: kauaidiv@hgea.org
© 2010 HGEA AFSCME LOCAL 152, AFL-CIO. All rights reserved.