The University of Hawaiçi faculty union today filed a grievance demanding that UH President M.R.C. Greenwood halt a unilateral salary reduction for faculty and other contract changes until the matter can be resolved through arbitration.

Citing an impasse in contract talks, Greenwood last week said the university would cut salaries 6.7 percent for most faculty beginning last Friday, the start of the new year.
The University of Hawaiçi Professional Assembly hand-delivered the grievance to Greenwood this afternoon, demanding that she immediately retract last week’s letter about plans to unilaterally impose the administration’s “last, best, final offer.”
“We filed this class grievance on behalf of UH faculty because of UH President Greenwood’s clear breach of contract. We believe it is only fair to ask for immediate arbitration and to hold UH President Greenwood’s unilateral imposition of salary reductions for UH faculty until we can have an arbitration decision,” said J.N. Musto, UHPA executive director and chief negotiator.
Greenwood responded to the grievance with this statement:
"The grievance filed today by UHPA was not unexpected. We disagree with the allegation of a 'wholesale breach of contract.' The substance of the grievance is being reviewed by counsel and we will reply to UHPA by tomorrow afternoon. Our preference remains to reach a negotiated settlement, but such a settlement must address the university's significant budget shortfalls this year and next."
Greenwood said she was imposing the salary reductions because of the impasse and because time was running out to reduce the school’s budget.