News Archive
READ: Teachers get bonuses; other workers left out
May 13, 2021
Today, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser published a Letter to the Editor written by Unit 3 Member Thomas Jon Giel. The text of the letter appears below.
READ: Teachers get bonuses; other workers left out
We’re not all in this together. The $2,200 teacher bonus is a blow to all public service and front-line workers (“Teacher bonuses, classroom ACs may not be best use of federal coronavirus relief funds for Hawaii, officials say,” Star-Advertiser, May 9).
Schools Superintendent Christina Kishimoto recently visited our campus, which was the model for bringing 100% of students back to high schools. But only teachers get the bonus? How is that fair? We work hand-in-hand with teachers. We were all nervous about bringing students back, we all had questions and we all worked together to reopen the school.
What about the rest of us? What about the health-care workers, first responders and any other front-line or essential workers? Do they get a bonus, too? How can the Legislature single out one profession as the only group to deserve more? This is extremely disappointing.
Thomas Jon Giel
Educational assistant III, Kohala High School
Hawi, Hawaii island