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The union for cops in Hawaii has filed 4 separate grievances difficult the denial of hazard pay amounting to a 25% pay differential for the height years of the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and March of this yr.
The State of Hawaii Group of Police Officers filed the grievances in opposition to Honolulu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii counties.
For a beginning metropolitan police officer in Honolulu who earns $71,656 a yr, the short-term hazard pay would quantity to $17,914 per yr.
SHOPO declined to touch upon the grievances, citing ongoing arbitration. Based on SHOPO’s collective bargaining settlement, hazard pay must be permitted by the county’s human assets administrators after the police chief makes a advice.
Honolulu’s Division of Human Sources maintains that hazard pay is already factored into officers’ base pay, not like different county positions, from the second they enter recruit faculty due to the inherent risks of policing.
Gregg Okamoto, assistant chief of the Maui Police Division, declined to remark, citing the continuing grievance. Hawaii and Kauai police didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
In Honolulu, SHOPO’s grievance is being dealt with by retired state Decide Marie Milks, who’s serving because the arbitrator within the case. Vladimir Devens and former HPD officer-turned-attorney Keani Alapa is dealing with the grievance for SHOPO. They didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Honolulu Company Counsel Dana Viola advised the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in a press release that town participated in SHOPO’s grievance of town human assets director’s denial of the 25% pay differential the union is in search of across-the-board for all hours labored by all uniformed cops in the course of the two-year interval from March 2020 to March of this yr as short-term hazard pay.
“HPD and the Metropolis proceed to precise gratitude and respect to all officers who labored and proceed to work within the COVID-19 ‘new regular’ however consider {that a} sturdy case was introduced in the course of the arbitration listening to that helps the denial of the grievance,” stated Viola. “As a result of this matter stays pending, HPD and the Metropolis will respect the arbitral course of and decline additional public touch upon this matter.”
In the course of the two-year interval in query, 721 HPD officers had been sidelined after both being contaminated with COVID-19 or pressured to isolate due to publicity, or whereas experiencing signs.
There’s one documented incident of an officer contracting the virus from a suspect who examined constructive for COVID-19.
Below SHOPO’s new contract, the beginning annual pay for a Honolulu metropolitan police officer is $71,656, with new recruits starting their coaching at HPD’s Ke Kula Makai Coaching Academy incomes $68,934.
By fiscal yr 2025, pay will increase beneath the contract are anticipated to price Oahu taxpayers greater than $136 million. The primary 5% pay elevate is retroactive to July 1, with 5% will increase each July 1 by means of 2024.
The earlier beginning wage for a rookie metropolitan police officer was $68,244 in base pay.
In 2024, beneath the settlement, officers additionally will obtain a one-time, lump-sum bonus starting from $1,800 to $2,000.
Along with base pay, officers are paid a differential for working at night time and obtain extra time at 1.5 occasions the bottom hourly fee. There’s a meal allowance for extra time work and a sponsored car allowance for qualifying officers.
Cops assigned to particular roles throughout the division might earn hazard pay. For instance, officers obtain an additional 25% of their base pay if their duties embrace working a police bike.
Officers are also eligible to work special-duty jobs akin to offering safety and site visitors management, incomes between $50 and $85 an hour.
