House receives governor messages, including tentative UHPA Unit 7 agreement

The Hawaii House of Representatives received and filed two messages from the governor, including notice that a tentative agreement with the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly bargaining unit 7 was reached Oct. 24, 2024, the House clerk said.

The clerk told the chamber: "We are in receipt of governor's message number 1, transmitting a report previously requested. We are in further receipt of governor's message number 2, informing the house that a tentative agreement with the University of Hawaii professional assembly bargaining unit 7 was reached on 10/24/2024. May these matters be received and filed." The presiding officer responded, "So ordered."

The messages were accepted for the record; the clerk did not provide details of the agreement's terms on the floor, and no vote tally or specific contract language was announced. The transcript records the date of the tentative agreement (Oct. 24, 2024) and that one of the governor's messages transmitted a previously requested report, but it does not specify funding, salary changes, implementation steps, or next procedural steps for ratification.

Why it matters: a tentative agreement with a statewide bargaining unit may affect University of Hawaii employees represented by the Professional Assembly and could require follow-up steps (internal ratification, budget adjustments) before becoming binding. Those follow-up steps were not detailed during the House session.

The House took no additional legislative action on the agreement during the recorded proceedings.