Police officers vote to join borough employees union

When Gene Meek started as police chief last month, he probably didn’t expect such a lively first month on the job.

Around the time of his arrival, police officers voted to unionize, a decision that will see the department’s staff join employees of other borough departments as members of IBEW Local 1547.

Additionally, the borough budget for the fiscal year that started July 1 reduced full-year funding for two police officer positions. The money-saving cutback, proposed by the borough manager, would have trimmed back 24-hour staffing due to light call traffic between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

The budget as approved by the assembly includes funding through Sept. 30 for the department’s full contingent of the chief, a lieutenant, sergeant and four officers. A reduction of two officers after Oct. 1 was built into the budget, but that is subject to revision.

The borough could reallocate funds to the police department for full staffing from elsewhere in the budget to continue full staffing.

“We are contemplating all sustainable options,” Borough Manager Mason Villarma said.

Doug Tansy, Anchorage-based business manager for Local 1547, is glad to have the police department on board as union members.

“We look forward to bargaining in good faith with the City of Wrangell to negotiate a fair contract,” he said in a prepared statement.

The borough recently negotiated and approved a new three-year contract with its unionized employees. To help bring the police officers under collective bargaining, the IBEW is negotiating a police-specific contract that would coincide with the end of the existing contract for borough employees in 2027.

The police then will be included in the overall borough contract starting in 2027.

Other borough workers represented by IBEW include the power plant and electrical line crew, public works, harbor and port workers, sanitation, maintenance, and water and sewer.