Thousands rally against Hawaii furlough plan
Herbert A. SampleThousands of state employees rallied at the state Capitol Tuesday afternoon to denounce Gov. Linda Lingle's plans to force them and their co-workers to take three unpaid days off each month.
Leaders of the four state employee unions painted the Republican governor as unwilling to negotiate the furlough plan, which they said would hurt workers' pocketbooks and the state's economy.
The furlough plan, which Lingle estimates will close $688 million of a $729 million state budget deficit over the next two years, "is going to destroy this state," said Roger Takabayashi, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
Randy Perreira, executive director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, said his members know the state's economy is in a difficult spot.
"In a fair way, we are all willing to make some kind of sacrifice," he said. "We have 40 years of history bargaining. We cannot stop now and let one person decide that bargaining is not the way to go. "
The rally had a partisan aspect, given that the Democrat-allied unions are skirmishing with the governor. Perreira touched on that angle in his speech, citing California, Indiana and several other states where GOP governors have implemented furloughs or were trying to.
However, a number of states with Democratic governors also are ordering state workers to take unpaid time off, such as Colorado, Iowa, New Jersey and Oregon. Almost half of the nation's 50 states have implemented furloughs or are proposing to.
Three of the unions in Hawaii — HGEA, HSTA and United Public Workers — are pursuing a court injunction to block the plan. A hearing is set for Thursday on their requests. The first furlough day is scheduled for July 6, according to the governor's office.
Lingle has warned that she will resort to layoffs if she cannot unilaterally furlough state workers. The unions have also gone to court to try and prevent her from laying off workers.
Some union leaders have called on top Democrats in the Legislature to call a special session to raise the state's general excise tax. But Lingle is adamantly against that and Republican lawmakers said they also oppose tax hikes while backing the furlough plan.
"This is the best way to continue to keep people employed and not turn them to the unemployment lines," said House Minority Leader Lynn Finnegan of Mapunapuna-Foster Village.
The rally was located on the Capital's southeast lawn, below the governor's suite of offices on the fifth floor. Several participants said they were willing to accept one or two furlough days per month but consider three to be too much. Lingle's plan amounts to a nearly 14 percent pay cut.
Curt Oki, a 54-year-old mechanic and UPW member, said any number of furlough days will be a "real hardship on my family."
"I am willing to do my part," he said. "I think three days is a little bit too much, too much burden placed on too few people."
Toni Reynolds, a 47-year-old second-grade school teacher from Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, said she was the only working member of her family. Her husband, a contractor, is having a tough time finding jobs, and her son is headed for college, she added.
"I have worries about keeping my mortgage," she added. "I don't know any teacher who can deal with 14 percent less (income), or anybody."