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Anchorage teachers, school district agree on contract terms

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Anchorage teachers, school district agree on contract terms



The Anchorage Education Association Building on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

The Anchorage Education Association and Anchorage School District have come to a preliminary agreement on teachers’ pay.

The Anchorage teachers’ union announced a tentative agreement Friday on a one-year contract with a 3% pay increase. About 3,000 union members will vote on whether to ratify the contract later this month.

The current contract was not set to expire until next July, but the two sides came to a tentative agreement that would be in place until July of 2025.

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“This is a bit unusual. We typically strive for a three-year contract,” AEA President Corey Aist said. “It almost feels like a contract extension in some ways, to the current contract.”

A man in a checkered shirt speaks at a microphone.
Anchorage Education Association President Corey Aist speaks during a school board meeting on June 6, 2023. (Tim Rockey / Alaska Public Media)

Aist said the union and district are hopeful that the Legislature will increase the state’s per-student funding formula, known as the Base Student Allocation.

“We’re hoping that with an increase to the BSA, we will be able to negotiate with the school district a more competitive agreement,” Aist said. 

In a statement, Anchorage School District Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt called the agreement QUOTE “a historic moment.” Bryantt said the increases to wages and health benefits are the largest in over a decade.

“This tentative agreement represents our collective commitment and dedication to those on the frontlines who give students the skills they need to succeed in life,” Bryantt said in a statement. 

Aist said comparatively low wages for teachers in Alaska means the district must compete for employees with school districts in the Lower 48. Aist said more than 1,150 educators have left the district since 2020.

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“It’s really, really challenging. We both see that challenge. We’re trying to alleviate and come to an agreement with the resources we have in place to be fully competitive, to try and meet the needs of the school district. We’re going to need a more competitive contract. It’s time that our state Legislature and Governor help with that, we are doing our part,” Aist said. 

If the union membership approves the agreement, the Anchorage School Board could vote to ratify it at their December 5th meeting.


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Tim Rockey is the producer of Alaska News Nightly and covers education for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at trockey@alaskapublic.org or 907-550-8487. Read more about Tim here

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Alaska

80 mph, 90 mph and higher: Here’s a rundown of peak gusts recorded across Southcentral Alaska in Sunday’s storm

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80 mph, 90 mph and higher: Here’s a rundown of peak gusts recorded across Southcentral Alaska in Sunday’s storm


By Anchorage Daily News

Updated: 2 hours ago Published: 3 hours ago

Here’s a list of peak wind gusts measured at various locations by the National Weather Service across Southcentral Alaska in Sunday’s storm. Crews were working Sunday evening to restore electricity to thousands of people in Anchorage and the Mat-Su.

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Gusts of more than 60 mph were recorded at various locations across the region, with gusts exceeding 80 mph at several locations on the Anchorage Hillside and higher elevations.

High winds, rain batter Anchorage and Mat-Su, with power outages reported across region

The readings were collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures, the weather service noted. Not all data listed are considered official, the weather service said. See the full list here.

Anchorage

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport: 62 mph

Merrill Field: 66 mph

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Lake Hood: 59 mph

JBER – Elmendorf: 69 mph

JBER – Fort Richardson: 73 mph

Northeast Anchorage: 75 mph

South Anchorage: 75 mph

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Glen Alps: 84 mph

Potter Valley: 91 mph

Bear Valley: 110 mph*

Arctic Valley: 107 mph*

Glenn Hwy Eagle River Bridge: 88 mph

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Glenn Hwy S Curves: 62 mph

South Fork Eagle River: 86 mph

Birchwood Airport: 53 mph

Bird Point: 75 mph

Alyeska Weather Station: 112 mph

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Alyeska Summit: 99 mph

Portage Glacier: 84 mph

Matanuska Valley

Palmer Airport: 67 mph

Wasilla Airport: 47 mph

Fishhook: 47 mph

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Duck Flats: 6 mph

Susitna Valley

Willow: 36 mph

Eastern Kenai Peninsula

Seward Airport: 51 mph

Kenai Lake: 33 mph

Granite Creek: 25 mph

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Seward / Sterling Hwys (Y): 42 mph

Whittier Airport: 60 mph*

Western Kenai Peninsula

Kenai Airport: 53 mph

Soldotna Airport: 39 mph

Kenai Beach: 46 mph

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Sterling Highway at Jean Lake: 64 mph

Nikiski: 36 mph

Anchor Point: 31 mph

Homer Airport: 46 mph

Homer Boat Harbor: 42 mph

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Seldovia Airport: 41 mph

Eastern Prince William Sound

Cordova Airport: 73 mph

Cordova Marine Ferry Terminal: 74 mph

Valdez Airport: 25 mph

Valdez Port: 23 mph

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Thompson Pass: 47 mph

Copper River Basin

Gulkana Airport: 56 mph

Chitina: 37 mph

Denali Hwy at MacLaren River: 38 mph

Eureka: 36 mph

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Kodiak Island

Kodiak Airport: 52 mph

Kodiak – Pasagshak Road: 61 mph

Akhiok: 45 mph

*Denotes site stopped transmitting wind data following report of highest wind gust.

“Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.”

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Alaska Airlines faces heat after UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov gets removed from flight: 'Shame on you'

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Alaska Airlines faces heat after UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov gets removed from flight: 'Shame on you'


Alaska Airlines is getting called out on social media after a clip surfaced showing a famous UFC fighter get into a dispute on-board until he was escorted off his flight. The video shows Russian hall of fame athlete Khabib Nurmgomedov debating airline staff in the U.S. while he was sitting in the exit row on the plane.

The video of the incident, which reportedly took place at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Saturday, shows an employee telling the 36-year-old mixed martial artist he either has to switch seats or get off the plane. “They’re not comfortable with you sitting in the exit row,” the worker added.

“It’s not fair,” said Nurmgomedov, who was reportedly flying to Los Angeles, to which the worker replied, “It is fair. Yes, it is.”

Nurmgomedov explained that when he was checking in for the flight, he was asked he if knew English, to which he said he did. The airline worker responded, “I understand that, but it’s also off of their judgement. I’m not going to do this back-and-forth. I will call a supervisor.”

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The employee reiterated the athlete could either take a different seat on the plane, or staff could “go ahead and escort” him off the flight. She asked “which one are we doing?” and then replied to Nurmgomedov saying they were going to have to rebook him on a different flight.

Across social media, people have been calling out Alaska Airlines asking why they had him removed from the plane. Many called for others to boycott the airline, and some claimed the staff were profiling Nurmgomedov, who is Muslim.

“Why did you remove Khabib from your plane? His fans need to know! I hope he sues you,” an Instagram user wrote on the airline’s most recent post.

“Are you aware of who Khabib is? His legacy surpasses that of the entire airline,” another chimed in.

“Shame on you, Alaska Airline. We all boycotting them,” a TikTok user added.

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“What is the reason!? Because they don’t feel comfortable he’s sitting by a window?” another questioned.

Neither Nurmgomedov or Alaska Airlines have yet commented on the situation.





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Experts recommend preparing in case of Southcentral power outages as storm approaches

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Experts recommend preparing in case of Southcentral power outages as storm approaches


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – With a storm approaching and high winds in the forecast for a portion of Southcentral Alaska, experts recommend preparing for potential power outages and taking safety precautions.

Experts with the State of Alaska, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management recommended taking the initiative early in case of power outages due to strong weather.

Julie Hasquet with Chugach Electric in Anchorage said Saturday the utility company has 24/7 operators in case of outages.

“We watch the weather forecast, and absolutely, if there are power outages, we will send crews out into the field to respond,” Hasquet said.

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She echoed others, saying it’s best to prepare prior to a storm and not need supplies rather than the other way around.

“With the winds that are forecast for tonight and perhaps into Sunday, people should just be ready that it could be some challenging times, and to be aware and cautious and kind of have your radar up,” Hasquet said.

For the latest weather updates and alerts, download the Alaska’s Weather Source app.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

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