At this point in time we are well into our contract negotiations. The state’s opening position is “NO PAY RAISE!!” and “NO COLA”.  If you have read the local newspapers recently, one of the 12 bargaining units negotiating their respective contracts have settled. Whatever the terms of the contract, that union will have to live with the decisions made. The rest of the state unions, including your union, ASEA, continue their negotiations. Our ASEA negotiators continue to “hang tough”.  We are now entering the bargaining phase of these negotiations.

I want to remind all of our chapter members that your union, ASEA, has set up a “Bargaining ’99” WEB Page:    http://www.asealocal52.org
 This was mentioned in our chapter newsletter several months ago. The WEB Page’s purpose is to:

• Allow you to contact our bargaining team members with ideas, concerns, and encouragement. It’s a good way for them to know the views of our members,
• Allow you to get the latest reports from the bargaining team on issues and progress of negotiations,
• And, more important, allow our membership the ability to provide comment on the WEB Page (both pro and con) on negotiation issues.

Meantime the so-called “State Worker Salary Study” funded last year  to the tune of $225K by our State Legislature is coming under attack. The methodology by which the statistical information was gathered and analyzed is being criticized as “flawed” by experts who specialize in this field. Our Anchorage Chapter newsletter last month focused on this study.

This study  and the present negotiations have drawn a number of comments from our ASEA members. I thought it would be good to print some of these comments…..Your Editor.
 

COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERSHIP:

“It is critical that members are involved in upcoming negotiations with the current budget crisis. They may send a unified “Public Opinion Message” of 50 words or less to their legislators by calling 269-0111 in Anchorage or by contacting their local Legislative Information Office.

In their Public Opinion message they may want to discuss:

• The flaws of the Peat Marwick study.
• State employees are Alaskans who provide income to Alaskan businesses.
• These people buy homes and pay taxes for schools in Alaska.
• Union members may want to suggest ways to cut spending versus cutting jobs.
• This union is over 7000 members strong and they do vote.
• The positive services each of our members provide to their local community should not be ignored.

Good luck with the negotiations”……Carrie Strickland.

“Our greatest challenge is not lack of resources, but lack of perspective. Twenty-five years ago Alaska was a place of big dreams and endless potential. Now we are awash and whimpering about how broke we are”…..Sandi Anderson (Letter to Gov. Knowles).

“….stop beating your war drums, and stop attacking state employees. Look at the facts, for a change. Do some investigative reporting, instead of publishing the latest news releases sent to you by the “Spin Machines” in the Legislature and the Governor’s Office”….Tom Wylie (Letter to the Juneau Empire).

“Only you can change it. Support your negotiators. Support them all the way to the picket line if that is what it takes. You cannot change the world on your knees”….Larry Rabideau.
 

 ANCHORAGE CHAPTER’S PRESIDENT’S LETTER
 
 (This is the opinion of your Chapter president, Larry Rabideau, and not that of the Chapter).

To show solidarity with the negotiating team:

Our Juneau Chapter is making up and passing out leaflets. Fourteen (14) people are passing out leaflets to busy work centers in Juneau to let members know what is going on with negotiations, where negotiations are taking place in Juneau, and inviting them to show up and see the process in action.

Our Juneau Chapter is planning to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Juneau and carry a union banner. I believe the banner will say “ALASKANS WORKING FOR ALASKA”.

Our Fairbanks Chapter is holding worksite meetings to bring their members up to speed on negotiations. They are planning a “May Day Rally” with the Central Labor Council. On March 13th the Fairbanks Chapter is hosting a public forum on state revenues. Members are encouraged to come and testify. Fairbanks is encouraging each and every member to write their legislator for fair negotiations.

So…what does Anchorage have planned?

Nothing….without you.

What would we like to do? We want everyone to write a thank you letter to every member of our negotiating team, including the business manager and all alternates. Thank them for representing us in these negotiations.

We want every person in the Anchorage Chapter to write a letter to his/her legislative representatives asking their support for fair, good faith bargaining.

We want to generate some buttons. A button machine should be here in a week. Distribute the buttons to the stewards and have the members wear the buttons boldly and with pride.

We want our members to talk to other members in other chapters. Find out what they are doing; is it working; what do you have in common; what can we do to best represent ourselves as a whole unit to the state.

Our Chapter members are intelligent people who are capable of doing things to help this union without being told. We need coordinated efforts but we also need the input and actions of the membership.

One of the more controversial items the Chapter will be generating is a “Golden Shoe”. This pin will indicate that the person wearing it is willing to go out on strike for issues like pay, health care, and full COLAs. The shoe shows everyone- fellow worker, management, and the administration- that you are “Willing to Strike”. It is not to be taken lightly. If you are not serious, do not wear it. It is the ultimate commitment one person can make to their self and their fellow workers……..Larry Rabideau.

   

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