Mayor, employer unions sign agreement on free health care premiums on Kaua‘i

Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami met with union officials on Monday to finalize the joint agreement on Kaua‘i County’s proposed free health care premium coverage for Fiscal Year 2025.

During a small commemorative ceremony with representatives from the Hawai‘i Fire Fighters Association (HFFA) and United Public Workers Hawai‘i (UPW), Kawakami expressed his appreciation for the partnership between the employer unions and the County of Kaua‘i and for coming together to offer a tremendous benefit for the county’s workforce.

“In previous times, government was able to recruit and retain good workers because of our benefits, but over the course of time things have shifted,” said the mayor said. “Years ago, I remember a conversation I had with an HGEA steward who mentioned half of his clerk’s paychecks were going towards their health insurance. At the time, the only experience I had was in the private sector, but I couldn’t imagine half of my paycheck going just towards a basic necessity. When I took office as Mayor, I mentioned this concern to our budget team with a goal to one day take this burden away from our associates. Thanks to our entire team, this is the year we could make it happen.”

Kawakami first announced the new health care premium proposal in March during his State of the County Address, citing that the high cost of living for working families on Kaua‘i have led many to find better opportunities elsewhere.

“Unfortunately, I can’t set salaries or wages for government positions, but with the support of our labor unions, we are dedicating more than $3 million of our county budget to pay the full cost of our basic healthcare premiums,” he said during his speech, further explaining that every county employee who signs up will have free health insurance and save hundreds of dollars a month.

With the support of the Kaua‘i County Council, who included the mayor’s proposal in their approved Fiscal Year 2025 budget, the health care premium initiative was given the green light in May. The County’s Department of Human Resources then hosted a special enrollment period in July to give employees the opportunity to sign up for the free medical insurance plan.

Those who signed up will see this benefit take effect beginning Sept. 1, 2024.

“Today, we are celebrating a momentous occasion and I’m truly grateful for our County team and our labor union partners – Hawai‘i Fire Fighters Association (HFFA), United Public Workers Hawai‘i (UPW), Hawai‘i Government Employees Association(HGEA), and the State of Hawai‘i organization of Police Officers (SHOPO),” said Mayor Kawakami. “While we may not always see eye to eye, here on Kaua‘i we do see heart to heart. And we’re able to rise above to make good things happen for our hardworking associates.”

Free health insurance is also part of the County of Kaua‘i’s benefit package for new employees. If you’re interested in applying for any open position at the County of Kaua‘i, please visit www.kauai.gov/jobs for a list of openings and more information.

For additional questions, contact the Department of Human Resources at 808-241-4956 or via email at hrrecruitment@kauai.gov.