Delegates debated, voted on union policies at first in-person event since 2019
Posted: April 8, 2022
On Saturday, 126 Hawaii State Teachers Association members from across the state gathered at the Hawaii Convention Center for the 49th annual HSTA Convention. Elected member delegates gathered to debate and vote on policies that will steer the direction of the association.
This was the first in-person convention since 2019, and members were excited and energized to work on important union-steering measures in person.
“Up until this point, there’s only been what you’ve seen online or what people put in the comments on our Facebook page, and that’s the only kind of activism we’ve seen, so it’s nice to see members actually here today,” said Amber Riel, a teacher at Waianae High School. “It’s nice to see everybody’s face and see everybody here participating, talking professionally with each other and making decisions that affect all 13,000 members.”
First-time delegate Charlotte Menze from Lanai High and Elementary School said, “This is very energizing, and the collaboration just makes me feel so much better… We live on a small island of Lanai, and it’s so isolating, and I really feel like this reminds me, okay, we’re all here together. We’re all here to support each other and our students.”
Menze commented on the need to gather to make collective changes regarding union policies. “It’s so important to see the process on how it works and how we make a change for our contract, how we work with our members, our union, and our members.”
Jennifer Kaaikala, HSTA’s Lanai Chapter president who also teaches at Lanai High and Elementary, spoke to the need for more members to get involved as delegates.
“We’ve got to get more people here because that’s how you get involved, and that’s how you’re able to be part of decisions. You can’t do it just sitting at your desk and letting other people do it for you and you don’t even know what’s going on. So they have to people have to get involved,” Kaaikala said.
Waianae High School teacher Lydia Haff encouraged her colleagues to get more involved in the union. She said, “It’s a good experience to kind of get more exposure and kind of learn what the union is doing and what they’re working toward right now. And then, if they feel comfortable putting through some business to try and push a certain focus or an idea for the HSTA to focus on, then this is a good place to do it.”
Click here to view the bylaws, resolutions, and new business items proposed at convention. The HSTA Digest of Policy Statements and New Business Items will be updated this summer to reflect changes from convention. Please note, this information is available to HSTA members only and is password protected. You must be an active HSTA member and logged in with your registered account to view this. Need to create an account? Click here for instructions.
President addresses ‘roller coaster ride’ of last two years
HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. addressed delegates by recounting major union headlines since April 2019, the last time members gathered at convention, including those from the height of the coronavirus pandemic, proposed pay cuts, and furloughs, and demands for safety in schools.
“What a roller coaster ride it’s been,” Tui remarked. “Lack of PPE, lack of toilet paper, travel restrictions, rampant unemployment, Black Lives Matter, January 6, Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, beloved colleagues who have either resigned or retired before they were originally planning to, the rise of Zoom, WebEx, and Google Meets, and students whose proms, graduations, and athletic events were completely disrupted.
“Despite all of this, member involvement has been critical and so very much appreciated. This includes those who simply submitted testimony or perhaps came out for informational picketing, to school-level leaders who shouldered much of the burden when schools were without direction and navigating uncharted territory, to our convention delegates for our electronic convention last year and here in person this year, along with our chapter and state-level leaders who continue to set the direction of our association. Mahalo to each and every one of you,” Tui said.
He addressed the uncertainty at our doorstep, including challenges faced nationwide including the teaching of critical race theory, banning books, and the passing of bills like Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Tui also pointed to victories and hope on the horizon, with HSTA’s priority bills related to teacher pay in their final steps at the state Legislature, and the anticipation of a new governor and lieutenant governor.
From left: HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr., lieutenant governor candidate Sylvia Luke, NEA Executive Director Kim Anderson.
From left: A group of HSTA members sign-wave in support of Sylvia Luke, HSTA’s recommended candidate for lieutenant governor.
NEA executive director stresses importance of voting, organizing
Kim Anderson, NEA’s executive director, traveled to Honolulu from Washington, D.C., and spoke to delegates during a keynote speech, recognizing the gargantuan efforts educators have undertaken during the unprecedented times of the last two years.
She also reminded delegates of the importance of voting, one of the hallmarks of democracy.
“Elections matter. Elections matter. Were it not for President Joe Biden and the NEA big family, our advocacy, we would never have seen the largest the single largest investment in public education in this country’s history with the American Rescue Plan — $170 billion,” Anderson said.
Anderson pointed out that thousands of members have had millions of dollars of their student loan debt forgiven after 200,000 NEA members demanded the defunct system be reworked.
“I just heard of another story today; somebody who had $280,000 of debt forgiven because of the efforts of our Office of General Counsel direct to the Department of Education,” she said. “This is life-changing. Life-changing. People can buy homes. People can avoid losing homes that have been in families for generations. This is big stuff.”
Anderson ended her remarks by inspiring members to organize for the sake of students.
“We must demand justice for our students, for the education profession, for public education, for our communities, for our democracy, and for the world. The eyes of the world are upon us, HSTA. The eyes of the world are upon us. We must rise to this challenge” she said. “We must organize, organize, organize, organize, because we know that we must fulfill the promise of public education for every single beloved student. Every single one.”
HSTA honors friend of youth, educator of year awardees
During the convention, HSTA presented its 2022 S.T.A.C.Y. Award for Teaching Excellence to Zachary Morita, a music teacher at Niu Valley Middle School. The award recognizes a teacher who demonstrates leadership, dedication, and passion in five categories: scholarship, teaching, advocacy, community, and youth. It is one of the highest honors bestowed by the association.
“This award is representative of a community of passionate educators intertwined with one another,” Morita said. “Several years ago I reached a breaking point like other teachers may have had, but connection and community saved me. I’m fortunate and grateful and humbled by many who continually inspired me to be better.”
As the recipient of this year’s award, Zachary will be HSTA’s nominee for the 2023 NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence.
The HSTA Friend of Youth Award recognizes an outstanding member of the community who works to support Hawaii’s youth through an activity outside of their professional duties. This year’s recipient was Nikki-Ann Yee, co-founder of Maʻi Movement Hawaiʻi, a volunteer-run organization that raises awareness about menstrual equity and period poverty in Hawaii.
The Friend of Youth Award is organized by HSTA’s Human and Civil Rights (HCR) Committee, a group of volunteer teacher leaders who work to promote safe, inclusive spaces for educators and learners. The committee says Nikki’s work reduces the number of student absences and positively affects student success.
“Our committee believes this year’s recipient is not only actively working to address period poverty, which is a great need in our schools. She’s also educating and inspiring our youth to create the change they want to see in the world,” said Jodi Kunimitsu, HSTA HCR state chair and a math teacher at Maui High School.
From left: HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer Lisa Morrison, 2022 S.T.A.C.Y. Award recipient Zachary Morita, Vice President Logan Okita, HSTA NEA Director Aaron Kubo.
From left: HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer Lisa Morrison, 2022 Friend of Youth Award recipient Nikki-Ann Yee, Vice President Logan Okita, HSTA NEA Director Aaron Kubo.