- BU-11
- The bargaining unit for firefighters in Hawaii, represented by the HFFA. When you see a "BU-11 contract," that is the firefighters’ union agreement.
- BU-12
- The bargaining unit for police officers in Hawaii, represented by SHOPO. It is negotiated separately from the firefighters’ contract.
- HFFA
- Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, the union representing Hawaii firefighters (the Maui Division is Local 1463), affiliated with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
- SHOPO
- State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, the union that represents police officers (BU-12).
- Section 7(k) exemption
- A federal rule that lets a public employer wait until 212 hours in a 28-day cycle, about 53 hours a week, before owing a firefighter any overtime. It is optional; the county chooses whether to apply it.
- ATB (across-the-board) raise
- A raise that increases everyone’s base pay by the same percentage. It is separate from step raises.
- Step / step advancement
- An automatic raise tied to years of service, worth roughly 4 percent per step. A "step freeze" pauses these for a set number of years.
- Interest arbitration
- When a union and employer cannot agree on a contract, a neutral arbitrator decides the terms. The resulting award is final and binding.
- Kelly schedule
- A rotating schedule of 24-hour shifts. "Kelly days" are built-in relief days that lower annual hours; without them, firefighters work more hours per year.
- Cost item
- The parts of a contract that cost money, such as raises. The county council must approve them, usually by resolution, before they take effect.
- Percentile
- Where a salary ranks against comparable places. The 50th percentile is the middle of the market; the 75th means paid more than three-quarters of comparable employers.
- MGT study
- The classification and compensation study Maui County commissioned in 2025 for its directors and deputy directors, used to justify management raises.
- NFPA 1710
- A national fire-service standard for how quickly and with how many firefighters a company should arrive, used as the benchmark for safe crew size.
Want to see these in context? Start with the facts on the home page, or read how we source this.