University of Hawaii Professional Assembly

What University of Hawaii Professional Assembly does

The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA) is a non-profit public sector faculty union founded in 1974 and headquartered at 1017 Palm Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii. It serves as the statutorily exclusive bargaining representative for Bargaining Unit 07 (BU07) under Hawaii state law, covering approximately 3,200 faculty members — instructional, research, specialist, extension agent, librarian, and lecturer classifications — across all 10 campuses of the University of Hawaii System. Core services include collective bargaining (most recently securing 14.35% compounded salary increases over FY 2022-2025 and a 3.79% increase effective July 1, 2026), contract administration under the ratified 2025-2029 UHPA-BOR agreement, legislative advocacy, and protection of tenure and academic freedom.

The revenue model is subscription-recurring monthly membership dues collected from active members, supplemented by a $5.00 per member per month allocation to a Political Action Fund when the fund balance falls below a board-set threshold. Member benefits programs (HomeStreet Bank home-buying, Enterprise/National car rentals, Kroc Center Hawaii fitness, Disney Aulani resort weekends, group life insurance via The Standard effective January 1, 2026) operate as ancillary offerings rather than revenue drivers. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: faculty access membership via an online application form and are engaged through a multi-channel mix (uhpa.org website, News Flash email newsletters, Facebook, X, Instagram, and on-campus meetings and workshops). UHPA affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers in April 2024 and is affiliated with the Hawaii State AFL-CIO, extending its political and resource footprint while preserving local governance autonomy. Technology is light: a digital member management platform with Google Docs-based member-only content access and an AI-powered chatbot (Ask UHPA AI Agent) built on the third-party Kumu/Hawaiidata.ai platform for 24/7 member inquiry handling.

Name

University of Hawaii Professional Assembly

Legal name

University of Hawaii Professional Assembly

Website

https://uhpa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly is a non-profit faculty union founded in 1974 that serves as the statutorily exclusive bargaining representative for approximately 3,200 University of Hawaii faculty across 10 campuses, providing collective bargaining, legislative advocacy, and tenure protection funded by recurring membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: UHPA collects monthly dues from Active members. A $5.00 per month allocation is placed in a Political Action Fund from each member's dues.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UHPA is the exclusive collective bargaining representative for approximately 3,200 University of Hawaii faculty members in Bargaining Unit 07 across all 10 UH system campuses. It delivers contract negotiation, legislative advocacy, tenure and academic freedom protection, member benefits programs (discounts on home loans, car rentals, fitness, travel), salary data resources, and professional development services funded by monthly member dues.

Product overview

University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA) is a faculty union serving as the exclusive bargaining representative for approximately 3,200 faculty members across all 10 University of Hawaii system campuses. UHPA operates as a membership organization offering core representation services including collective bargaining, legislative advocacy, salary data access, and contract management. The organization supplements its core union functions with member benefits including partner discounts (Disney Aulani, car rentals, fitness centers, banking services), professional development awards, and administrative feedback tools. UHPA has recently integrated AI capabilities through an Ask UHPA AI Agent powered by Kumu for member support. As of April 2024, UHPA affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the largest higher education national union in the nation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UHPA Union Representation Services Exclusive collective bargaining representation for University of Hawaii faculty in Bargaining Unit 07 across all 10 UH campuses, including contract negotiations, advocacy, tenure and academic freedom protection, and member support.
• Legislative Action Center Political advocacy platform enabling faculty to submit testimony, track legislation, and engage with state and federal elected officials on higher education policy matters.
• Member Benefits Program Discounted partner offerings including Disney Aulani resort weekends, Enterprise/National car rentals, HomeStreet Bank home buying benefits, Kroc Center Hawaii fitness membership, and restaurant discounts for active UHPA members.
• Salary Data Services Compensation data tools and resources for faculty members to access salary information across the University of Hawaii system.
• Ask UHPA AI Agent Artificial intelligence chatbot powered by Kumu/Hawaiidata.ai providing 24/7 member support and inquiry handling for union-related questions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.1% vote approval for contract extension (April 2022)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Standard Insurance CompanyminorOthers · 1 January 2026The Standard Insurance Company assumed group term life insurance coverage for UHPA members effective January 1, 2026 after Pacific Guardian Life exited the group life business.
• Kroc Center HawaiiminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 November 2024Kroc Center Hawaii Corporate Membership Program provides UHPA members with 15% off monthly membership, waiver of registration fee ($99 value), and additional perks including event venue discounts and guest passes.
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car & National Car RentalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 September 2024Partnership provides UHPA members with exclusive rental car rates, no blackout dates, no additional fees for additional drivers, and access to Emerald Club benefits including free rental days.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024UHPA affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers on April 1, 2024. AFT is the largest higher education national union in the nation. This affiliation provides UHPA members with access to AFT resources, professional development, and national union support while maintaining UHPA's local autonomy.
• Hawaii State AFL-CIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUHPA is affiliated with the Hawaii State AFL-CIO labor federation, which connects UHPA to the broader labor movement in Hawaii.
• HomeStreet BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHomeStreet Bank provides exclusive home buying benefits for UHPA members including pre-negotiated discounts on loan amounts, realtor commission discounts, and access to down payment assistance programs through Affinity Lending.
• Market Trends PacificminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarket Trends Pacific conducts the annual Rate My Administrator survey for UHPA. The company summarizes results and tracks trends over time to help faculty provide feedback on administrative performance.
• Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union partner that submitted testimony in opposition to SB 3269, demonstrating union solidarity in protecting public employee collective bargaining rights.
• United Public Workers (UPW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union partner that submitted testimony in opposition to SB 3269 alongside UHPA and other public sector unions.
• Hawaii Nurses Association (HNA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union partner that joined UHPA and other unions in submitting testimony opposing SB 3269 to protect public employees' collective bargaining rights.
• Pacific Guardian LifeminorOthersPrevious provider of no-cost group term life insurance ($20,000 coverage) for UHPA members. Exiting group life business on December 31, 2025.
• American Income Life (AIL)minorOthersProvides $2,500 Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefit for UHPA members at no cost, plus additional optional benefits including Legacy Will Kit and discount cards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): National affiliate and UHPA's parent federation (since April 2024). Comparable as a higher-ed labor organization but at vastly larger scale (1.7M+ members), providing national resources, policy advocacy, and shared services to UHPA.
• National Education Association (NEA): Largest U.S. labor union with significant higher-ed membership. Comparable in representing faculty interests nationally and at state levels, but operates at much greater scale and across K-12 plus higher ed.
• Hawaii State AFL-CIO: State labor federation coordinating Hawaii's union movement. UHPA is a constituent affiliate, making it a direct structural peer in the federation hierarchy with overlapping political advocacy and member mobilization functions.

Direct peers

• American Association of University Professors (AAUP): National organization dedicated to defending academic freedom and shared governance at colleges and universities. Comparable in mission (tenure protection, faculty advocacy) and now co-hosting webinars with UHPA's AFT affiliate on federal research funding attacks.
• Hawaii Nurses Association (HNA): Statewide professional association and union for Hawaii nurses. Directly comparable as a Hawaii public-sector collective bargaining organization that aligns with UHPA on protecting collective bargaining rights for public employees.
• Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA): Hawaii's largest public-sector union representing state and county employees. Directly comparable as a Hawaii-based public sector labor organization that co-submitted testimony with UHPA on SB 3269, sharing the same regulatory environment and member-base dynamics.
• United Public Workers (UPW): Hawaii AFSCME-affiliated public-sector union representing blue-collar and public workers statewide. Comparable in serving as exclusive bargaining representative for Hawaii public employees and partnering with UHPA on legislative advocacy.
• California Faculty Association: AFT-affiliated union representing California State University faculty. Comparable as a state university system faculty union with similar bargaining unit structure, contract cycles, and tenure defense priorities.

Others

• Service Employees International Union (SEIU): Major national union with healthcare, public-sector, and property-services divisions. Comparable in political advocacy and collective bargaining scale, but operates in fundamentally different sectors and serves a much broader membership.
• University of Hawaii Board of Regents (BOR): UHPA's direct bargaining counterpart on the employer side. Not a peer in business terms, but the counterparty that defines UHPA's contractual outcomes and counterpart relationship dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uhpafaculty
• Facebookfacebook.com/UHProfessionalAssembly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-hawaii-professional-assembly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Hawaii Professional Assembly