Teaching Profession

Teachers Return to Classrooms As Strike Ends in Hawaii

By Julie Blair — May 02, 2001 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Hawaii’s public school teachers returned to their classrooms last week, having bargained with the state for sizable raises and bonuses in a deal struck hours before a federal judge made good on a promise to intervene.

Educators overwhelmingly ratified the $98.1 million contract on April 23, though they had picketed right up until voting began, said Danielle L. Lum, a spokeswoman for the 13,000-member Hawaii State Teachers Association.

“This is a very good package,” Ms. Lum said. “Not only does it compensate teachers, but it lays the groundwork for education reform.”

The 19-day strike, begun April 5 in conjunction with a walkout by university professors, was described as the most extensive action of its kind in the history of American public education. The two strikes effectively shut down the state education system from kindergarten through graduate school.

In a statement, Gov. Benjamin J. Cayetano, a Democrat, called the agreement with the teachers “fiscally responsible” and assured constituents that the state could pay for the pact without raising taxes or repealing past tax cuts.

“Our teachers will receive a significant pay raise that includes excellent incentives for additional pay increases based on professional development,” he said. “Most importantly, our children will reap the benefits of having teachers who continue to refine their skills and talents throughout their careers.”

The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, which represents 3,100 professors, had settled with the state the previous week. Both unions’ contracts expired coincidentally in the summer of 1999. (“Teacher Strike Across Hawaii Enters Week 3,” April 25, 2001.)

The compromise agreement between the state and the teachers’ union includes a 20 percent across-the-board pay raise for teachers over the next two years. Under the plan, beginning teachers will make $34,294, up from $29,204, while teachers at the top of the salary schedule will earn $64,202, up from $58,000.

Teachers will also receive one-time “retention bonuses” of $2,200 for work they completed over the past two years, rather than retroactive pay as union leaders had called for.

Both issues led to the deadlock that prolonged the strike.

Initially, leaders of the National Education Association affiliate argued that a 22 percent pay increase over four years was needed to attract and keep teachers in the scenic but isolated state. They emphasized that Hawaii’s cost of living significantly outpaces that of most other parts of the country, at a time when teacher shortages loom.

Gov. Cayetano, however, offered a 14 percent pay hike over the last two years of the contract. He cited a need to weigh school spending against the state’s other financial responsibilities. The state’s single, 180,000-student K-12 school system is especially subject to competition with other public interests for money because it is financed through income and excise taxes rather than by dedicated property taxes, as is the common practice on the mainland.

The new contract also includes $5,000 bonuses for teachers who obtain certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and a battery of new programs designed to aid teachers in their practice and ratchet up accountability.

For example, the state education department will implement a mentoring program for beginning teachers and provide peer help for those at all experience levels. The package also mandates that the state overhaul the teacher-evaluation system and rewrite performance standards used in teacher licensing.

Had the union and the state not come to a resolution, U.S. District Judge David Ezra would surely have intervened, said Shelby Anne Floyd, a lawyer who represents special education students. The strike was interfering with a federal court order requiring the state to provide improved services to children with special needs.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the May 02, 2001 edition of Education Week as Teachers Return to Classrooms As Strike Ends in Hawaii

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Equity & Diversity Webinar
Classroom Strategies for Building Equity and Student Confidence
Shape equity, confidence, and success for your middle school students. Join the discussion and Q&A for proven strategies.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Disrupting PD Day in Schools with Continuous Professional Learning Experiences
Hear how this NC School District achieved district-wide change by shifting from traditional PD days to year-long professional learning cycles
Content provided by BetterLesson
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession Q&A Los Angeles Educators Are Set to Strike. Will Teachers Elsewhere Follow Suit?
Unions in cities have become more aggressive—and low wages coupled with a demand for talent are giving them leverage.
6 min read
Thousands of LAUSD education workers calling on LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to use the district’s $4.9 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students, and communities rally at Grand Park in front of Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles on March 15, 2023.
Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District educators call on Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to use the district’s nearly $5 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students, and communities at a rally at the city's Grand Park on March 15, 2023.
Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News via TNS
Teaching Profession The Gender Pay Gap Is a Problem for Teachers, Too
Women dominate the profession. Men still make more.
5 min read
A conceptual image of a female being paid less than a male.
hyejin kang/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Five Ways Teachers Are Spending Their Spring Break
Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow, but springtime is almost here. See how teachers are spending spring break this year.
1 min read
Sunrise and bokeh over paddy rice field. Paddy field farming at sunrise.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Teaching Profession Teachers of Color Are Most at Risk in Upcoming Layoffs, Report Says
They're more likely to be in their first few years of teaching—and let go under seniority-based layoff rules.
5 min read
Layoffs are illustrated by an oversized pair of scissors, that looms over seven teachers of color sitting in chairs suspended by strings. The teachers using their laptop computers and mobile devices.
DigitalVision/Vectors + EdWeek