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WATCH: Randy Perreira on New Vaccination and Testing Policy for State and County Employees
August 05, 2021
Governor Ige today announced an emergency proclamation regarding COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for state and county employees.
In reaction to Gov. David Ige’s plan to impose a vaccination mandate for state and county employees, HGEA, Hawaii Fire Fighters Association (HFFA), Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA), State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO), University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA) and United Public Workers (UPW) released a joint statement strongly encouraging vaccinations for public employees and at the same time urging the employer to openly discuss the impacts the mandate will have on employees' working conditions. The public-sector unions reached out to the governor’s office earlier this week to initiate discussions about the vaccine mandate, but our request was denied.
We want you to know that HGEA strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccinations as our most powerful weapon in our united effort to beat the pandemic and protect our community’s health. However, we will fight to protect our members against any and all attempts to use public health measures as a cover for undermining workers' rights and protections.
We have demanded bargaining over the impact of these COVID-19 vaccination requirements and will continue to fight for these open discussions to come up with solutions that work for all impacted workers. We will be sure to keep you updated and welcome your thoughts.