Ferry workers explain failure by governor's negotiators that led to strike

Four hundred public ferry workers who operate Alaska’s Marine Highway System are providing a “behind-the-scenes” look at the events which led up to a strike that began Wednesday afternoon, July 24. The strike is ongoing, although union officials have made it clear they are ready to talk when a settlement is within reach.

“We didn’t want to take this action and urge the Governor’s negotiators to work with us on a contract,” said Trina Arnold, Director of the Alaska Region Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific, an affiliate of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. “Nobody in management has called about resolving this with a contract,” she said.

Workers say the problem started two years and nine months ago, when they first sat down with the Governor’s negotiators who showed little interest in reaching a contract. After tedious negotiations, tentative agreements were reached on 30 contract items, but terms could not be reached on pay and benefits. In the hours leading up to the strike, the Governor’s negotiators abruptly withdrew their approval for the 30 items that had already been approved by both sides.

The Governor’s negotiators were also demanding that workers pay significantly more for their health insurance, while refusing to provide any cost-of-living adjustments for either the past three years or upcoming years, to help keep pay in line with inflation. Negotiators also refused to provide ferry workers with the same kind of step pay system that covers most other Alaska public employees.

Ferry workers asked for 1.8 percent raises over 5 years, which still left them with no real-dollar increases, with inflation running at almost 3 percent. The refusal to provide, inflation protection, pay raises, the step- system higher health care costs, amounted to a net pay cut for most workers. The Governor’s proposal for a one-time payment of $1,500 also fell short, because it still left families underwater.

The other remaining concern is drastic cuts to public ferry service that the administration wants to impose on residents after the busy summer tourist season. “That’s when residents will suffer if these proposed cuts are imposed on residents and businesses in dozens of communities,” said Arnold. We stand with community leaders all over Alaska who see this as unwise and unfair.”