The College of Alaska Southeast campus in Juneau, proven on July 25, 2019 (David Purdy/KTOO)
The College of Alaska Board of Regents has taken unilateral motion to extend salaries for its full-time college, regardless of ongoing federal mediation with the college’s union on a brand new collective bargaining settlement.
“That is an uncommon step for positive,” mentioned UA President Pat Pitney in regards to the unprecedented motion permitted by the regents throughout a particular assembly Monday.
Pitney mentioned mediation has didn’t carry the college and United Teachers, or UNAN, considerably nearer collectively on the phrases of a brand new three-year collective bargaining settlement.
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“And so final Friday we declared that we had been at deadlock,” mentioned Pitney.
With time working out to get a brand new contract permitted and funded by the Legislature earlier than the session ends, Pitney mentioned the college feels compelled to behave.
“It’s the eleventh and a half hour,” she mentioned.
UA college have solely acquired a 1% increase over the previous 5 years, and amongst provisions within the college contract submitted to the Legislature is a 3.5% wage hike for the brand new fiscal 12 months which begins July 1, adopted by 2.5% and a couple of% raises the next two years. Pitney mentioned the will increase are according to these in different UA worker agreements earlier than the Legislature.
“UNAC”s compensation and advantages place in contrast was greater than 4 occasions the extent the college is providing, unsustainable by any commonplace,” she mentioned.
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Tony Rickard is a professor of arithmetic training on the College of Alaska Fairbanks and chief negotiator for United Teachers. He mentioned the union has adjusted its proposals to attempt to attain an settlement and desires to maintain speaking.
“This a really puzzling motion by President Pitney and the Board of Regents,” mentioned Rickard. “They appear to suppose that the mediation is over, and it’s not. We mutually agreed to a session that we have now but to have.”
Rickard mentioned UNAC can be on the third and closing mediation session scheduled for Wednesday.
“And we anticipate the college to be there too,” Rickard mentioned.
It’s unclear if the college will attend, however UA lead negotiator David Eisenberg instructed regents on Monday that declaring an deadlock solely means the college shouldn’t be legally required to maintain negotiating.
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“That mentioned, clearly we’re going to obtain and take into account any affordable proposals from the union,” mentioned Eisenberg.
There’s some hypothesis {that a} UA college contract might be thought-about by the Legislature outdoors the common session, however Pitney mentioned a particular session is unlikely in an election 12 months.
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Home › Active Wildland Fire ›New fire starts near Fort Knox Gold Mine northeast of Fairbanks
By Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protectionon
Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection is responding to the Last Chance Creek Fire (#305) 4 miles southeast of the Fort Knox Gold Mine mill and 8 miles east of Gilmore Trail above Steel Creek. Fairbanks Area DOF helitack, four engines, one dozer, six smokejumpers, two Fire Boss water scooping aircraft, and retardant Tanker-544 have all responded to the 2-acre fire. Air Attack is overhead coordinating the firefighting effort on the ground and in the air.
Aerial resources have been effective and suppression efforts will continue through the night. Additional updates will be available Saturday on AKFireInfo.com.
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Public Information Map of Last Chance Creek Fire (#305) for Friday, June 28, 2024. Click on the map to download a PDF file to enlarge or print.
‹ Smoke continues to hamper efforts on Globe Fire
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry (DOF)
An organization of communities in Alaska’s far north sued the Bureau of Land Management Friday over a rule they said “turns a petroleum reserve into millions of acres of de facto wilderness.”
The lawsuit appears to be one of the first to be filed under the Administrative Procedure Act in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision dismantling the Chevron doctrine.
Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat alleges that BLM’s “NPR-A Rule” forbids oil and gas development in 10.6 million acres of Alaska, and effectively ends any further leasing and development in an additional 13.1 million acres.
The rule is “directly contrary” to Congress’s purpose in creating the Natural Petroleum Reserve in Alaska—to further oil and gas exploration and development, Voice said in its complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Alaska. BLM “disingenuously” claims that the rule “speaks for Alaska Natives,” the group said.
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The rule violates several federal laws, including the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. It is therefore arbitrary and capricious under the APA, the complaint says.
Voice is represented by Ashburn & Mason P.C.
The case is Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat v. Bureau of Land Mgmt., D. Alaska, No. 24-136, complaint filed 6/28/24.
K-food, K-pop, K-culture Enjoy amazing Korean food, and a variety of performances including Chicago’s K-Pop dance team: Prism-KRU, Cover Dance Festival World Champions in 2022 & 2023.
Win prizes and be sure to check out all vendors!
The Korean American Community of Anchorage Celebrating 50 years as a Korean American community in Anchorage.
