Here’s how to estimate how much your salary might increase
Posted: August 25, 2022
The nearly 9,000 Hawaii State Teachers Association members who will see pay adjustments under the state’s plan to end salary compression may have to wait a couple of months for that money to show up in their paychecks. Any pay increase will be retroactive to the beginning of this school year.
Read HSTA’s updated compression FAQs released this week, which includes a chart that shows what pay step educators should be on based on years of service.
HSTA Deputy Executive Director Andrea Eshelman briefed volunteer school-level leaders recently on the latest compression developments, which you can watch here.
Since Gov. David Ige signed the state budget into law in early July, clearing the way for the compression fix, HSTA has been meeting with the employer to discuss implementation details.
Before compression raises can be approved, the Office of Collective Bargaining and the Budget and Finance Departments need to review the implementation plan for the compression fix, Eshelman said. They will then brief Ige, who supports ending compression but still must sign off on the plan, releasing the funds.
At the same time, the Board of Education also needs to approve any implementation plan. After final approval, the employer must process thousands of personnel action forms and make the necessary payroll changes.
The HSTA initially hoped that BOE approval could take place at the board’s Sept. 15 meeting, however, “at this point, quite honestly, I don’t think we have enough runway to do that. But we are committed to get this in front of folks as quickly as possible,” Eshelman said.
The BOE’s next regular monthly meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20.
“Whether we get this figured out and settled in the next few weeks, or maybe it takes us until the end of September or what have you, we know that there is money to retro you back to the start of the school year,” Eshelman told educators. “Similar to when you reclassify, there will be that adjustment to get you that money back to the start of the semester.”
WATCH: HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. explains how compression affected HSTA members
Right now, about 500 HSTA members are at the top of the salary scale, Step 14B. But when compression is fixed, another 2,500 additional veteran teachers who’ve been stuck in the middle of the salary scale or compressed for years, will move to the top salary step.
Contract negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement will begin this fall. HSTA plans to pursue a variety of improvements to salary and benefits, including across-the-board pay raises, step movements, options for educators to reclassify beyond Class VII, and other means of compensation.
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