Anchorage Chapter’s President’s Letter
 
(This is the opinion of Larry Rabideau and not that of the Chapter)

This is the spot where I tell you how bad you’ve got it.  This is the spot where I try to excite you to do something about it.  This is the spot where I share my anger over the contract, the frustration of contracts past and the dismal outlook for the future.  But I ain’t gonna do it that way.

Let me calmly and plainly lay it out for you.  Contract negotiations start in December.  We tried to start earlier but the State wasn’t ready.

The bargaining team you voted on is in place and being trained.  They are researching what we are going to ask for and why we should have it.  There are six people on the team and the chief spokesperson will be our Business Manager Chuck O’Connell.

The bargaining team speaks for the membership.  They know what the membership wants because they have surveyed you - you did fill out a survey didn’t you?  The bargaining team talks to the Presidents of all the chapters - I am your link.  I, in turn, let you know what is going on and will forward your gems of wisdom to the team.  You are free to contact the team members directly but chances are they are going to be extremely busy doing their job and you will probably have a better shot with me.

I will use the Chapter Newsletter, the stewards, E-Board meetings and GGU meetings to communicate with you.  I will use the Chapter Website and there will be information on the ASEA Local 52 Website.  If you want to know,  get your communication channels established now.  I will post my phone number when the time comes, you can get the numbers for me and the bargaining team from the Union office 277-5200.

I will let you know that the negotiating team is primed and ready to go.  They are upset over the losses we have suffered over the last 14 years of our contracts.  They are planning on being very assertive during negotiations and, with your backing, getting some of those losses back.
 

Statewide President’s Meet Over Negotiations

Friday and Saturday (Nov. 13 and 14) the Statewide Chapters sent their Presidents to Anchorage to talk and plan for negotiations.

The Presidents are the communication link to and from the Negotiating team.  It is up to the individual chapters to establish their own communication networks in order to get information to and from the Members and the Bargaining Team.

Anchorage will be relying heavily on electronic communications, the stewards and regularly scheduled meetings.  Thanks to your Editor, Larry Nakata, we have one of the most up to date and sophisticated Websites in the State and will be having negotiation updates posted there as we get them.

The meeting was very unifying and most people agreed that the current state of our contract is pitiful.  We have lost 20% of our purchasing power just due to inflation over the last 14 years.  Labor estimates put our wages at anywhere from 13 to 33% below where they should be.

One of the obvious flaws in the State’s study on wages compares our wages favorably to the rest of the wages in the Northwestern portion of the United States.  What they fail to take into account is that the wages in the Northwest are 13% below fair market value.  Even if we earn 2% more than someone in Seattle, we are still earning 11% less than what we should be earning.

These are the sort of things the Negotiating team will be researching.  The Team expects hard fair negotiations with the state.  The Negotiating team is ready but they need the support of the membership behind them.  The general mood of the team was that this was the year to take back our losses.  This was the year for assertive bargaining.  With the membership behind us, we cannot lose, I heard one team member say.
 

STRIKE PREPARATION   by Larry Rabideau

I would be lying if I told you that a strike was not one of our most important tools in negotiations.  It is a scary proposition.  It even frightens me.

But it is the tool of last resort.

We will go to the bargaining table well prepared.  We will have researched the issues and will know what we are asking for is 1) Fair 2) Just and 3) that the State can afford it.  They can afford to treat us fairly.  They can afford to pay us fairly and they can’t afford to have us strike.

You will be told what we are asking for in general terms, like improved wages, some of our lost holidays back and better health benefits.  You may not know exactly what we are asking for because we don’t want to be at a strategic disadvantage.

You will be asked to do things to show you are in favor of a good contract and support your bargaining team.  It may be something as simple as posting a sign or wearing a button.  It may be showing up for a rally or even voting for a strike to show the State we are serious about taking back some of our losses from previous contracts.

No one wants a strike but if you want a good contract you may have to.  The State, for the last 14 years, has stalled and tried to financially break our union.  They have whittled away at our rights and let inflation kill our buying power.  We have the ability to turn that around.  If we stand united we can get back what was lost.

Let me tell you why the State doesn’t want you to Strike.

1. There is a labor shortage.  No replacements.
2. If the other unions refuse to cross our picket lines - we can shut down the state offices, state ferries, airlines.
3. No strike of state employees has ever lasted over a week and most are settled in 3 days or less.
4. With Federally mandated reports not going out, the State would owe penalties in excess of $50 million dollars in the first week.

I leave you with four thoughts the Statewide Chapter President’s and the Bargaining Team came up with this weekend.

*  Contract Negotiations Start December 14. You could be on Strike July 1

*  What are we asking for? Lost wages.  Lost buying power.  Lost holidays.  Lost respect.

*  Wages. We are 20% poorer due to the lousy COLA eroding our buying power. Our wages are at least 13% below fair market value with the private sector and some studies put us down 33%.

*  Member Solidarity  +  Worksite Activity  =  A Good Contract
 

   

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