Fate of 2,200+ teachers who are owed raises up in the air
Posted: July 23, 2026
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association has won a ruling against the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education after HIDOE abruptly ended discussions and declared “closed” a case involving more than 2,200 public school teachers who are owed additional service credit that should result in raises worth thousands of dollars.
HSTA’s April 2026 prohibited practice complaint accused HIDOE of bargaining in bad faith and failing to follow Hawai’i’s collective bargaining law. The Hawaiʻi Labor Relations Board (HLRB) held a hearing on the matter June 17 and 18.
The HLRB recently ruled that the HIDOE violated labor law when it refused to give HSTA information that HSTA requested related to implementing the October 2024 HLRB Decision No. 526. That decision established that HIDOE violated labor law when it implemented its 2022 teacher salary repricing plan, also known as the compression fix. and failed to account for some educators’ previous teaching experience outside of the department. After that ruling, the HSTA immediately sought corrections for similarly situated teachers.
What HSTA won
This most recent HLRB decision ruled that HIDOE acted improperly when it first engaged with HSTA’s information requests, then later claimed the request was untimely and closed the matter. As a result, the labor board ruled that HIDOE committed prohibited practices under Hawaiʻi labor law. The Board ruled in favor of HSTA, finding the HIDOE violated HRS §89-16.6 and HRS §89-13(a)(7) and §89-13(a)(8) when it failed to provide relevant employee information to the union.
What the HLRB has not decided yet
However, the board has not yet ruled on the remaining major issue related to the HIDOE’s failure to make repricing salary adjustments in line with the October 2024 HLRB ruling.
The HLRB’s final ruling on the following remaining issues will be addressed by the HLRB after the parties submit their post-hearing briefs and proposed findings, which are due Aug, 17.
Remaining issues the board must still decide include if the HIDOE:
- Refused to bargain in good faith after the October 2024 Decision No. 526.
- Continued applying the unlawful repricing methodology to the other approximately 2,221 similarly affected employees.
- Failed to provide broader implementation information needed to identify and assist all affected employees.
- Interfered with employee rights by withholding information and implementation details from HSTA.
- Owes broader remedies to the HSTA beyond providing information.
What’s next: members should be prepared for a lengthy process
The recent HLRB ruling is an important step forward and gives us reason to be optimistic as we await a decision on the remaining issues in the case. Just as the board ruled in favor of the three original teachers in Decision No. 526, we are hopeful that the panel will ultimately conclude that similarly situated educators are entitled to the same treatment.
Nevertheless, members should be prepared for the possibility of a lengthy process. Even if HSTA secures a complete victory before the labor board, HIDOE will likely pursue an appeal of the decision through the courts, which could significantly extend the timeline for a final resolution. Furthermore, any systemwide correction would require HIDOE to identify and review each affected teacher individually to determine eligibility and calculate any necessary salary and back-pay adjustments. As a result, implementation would likely take many months even after a favorable final ruling.
HSTA will continue to provide updates to members as they become available.