HONOLULU -- After weeks of negotiating, Gov. Linda Lingle on Wednesday announced that the state and the Hawaii Government Employees Association reached a tentative deal.

Hawaii's largest public worker union has agreed to take 18 furlough days the first year of its new contract and 24 furlough days the second year of the contract, sources said.

HGEA members will have to pay for increases in health insurance premiums.

"The state is very pleased that we have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the Hawaii Government Employees Association. We believe this contract is in the best interest of the State and its employees and we hope the employees will ratify the contract," Lingle said in a written statement.

HGEA has scheduled ratification votes to happen this week.

"It has been the intent of the HGEA and its negotiating team members to reach an agreement with the employers on a furlough plan that our members could review and vote on. We strongly encourage every HGEA bargaining unit member to take time over the next few days to review the agreement, and vote on this most important issue," HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira said.

The agreement covers union members in seven bargaining units (2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 13).

HGEA Units:

Unit 2 (blue-collar supervisory employees)

Unit 3 (white-collar non-supervisory employees)

Unit 4 (white-collar supervisory employees)

Unit 6 (educational officers)

Unit 8 (administrative, professional and technical University of Hawaii employees)

Unit 9 (registered professional nurses)

Unit 13 (professional and scientific employees)

The ratification meetings will be held on Thursday, Friday and Monday. HGEA expects to release the results of the vote on Monday night. (Check the HGEA ratification meeting schedule.)

Lingle had initially pressed for 36 furlough days for each of two years, which would be a 14 percent pay cut for workers.

HGEA negotiated for 29,600 white-collar state and county workers.

The state and the four counties have had to negotiate together.

The counties will plan no furlough days in the current fiscal year, but keep the option of up to 18 days, and furlough HGEA workers 24 days in the following fiscal year, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said.

Some members are very upset about the pay cut.

"I think it's going to be difficult for a lot of people and that's why this has dragged on for as long as it has. I think people have some real financial issues. It's not that we're not prepared to make a sacrifice, I think for some people it's an impossible sacrifice," Department of Transportation administrator Larry Truesdell said.

"Everybody had to share part of this economic crisis. So we cannot complain too much, you know, compared to someone else. Everyday we still have a job to go to, yeah. Not like some people, they been in unemployment quite a long time," Department of Transportation clerk Emily Hsu said.