News Archive
READ: Public workers are doing our fair share
June 26, 2020
On June 26, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser published a Letter to the Editor from Unit 14 President Bryan Phillips. The text of the letter appears below.
=====
Public workers are doing our fair share
I’d like to correct some misconceptions about public workers.
First, we are not lazy. I, like thousands of public workers reported to work daily since COVID-19 started, to keep our communities running smoothly amid the panic, chaos and frustration felt by many.
Second, I, like many of my coworkers, have made concerted efforts to increase spending at local businesses because they need our support.
And third, I, like many other hard-working Hawaii residents, pay taxes to ensure our community has funding for essential services like clean water, drivable roads and accessible services for all.
The notion that we don’t deserve to have our contracts honored is flat-out insulting and short-sighted.
People are quick to vilify public workers, but who will teach our keiki, guard our beaches, provide services for the most vulnerable and deliver all the other services the public rightly expects?
Bryan Phillips
Director, HGEA Unit 14 North Shore Lifeguard Association