Mayor Sullivan and his right-wing supporters on the Assembly are going after the city's employee unions again. They apparently do not understand collective bargaining, so they hope to eliminate or minimize the union's right to bargain.
To date, all but one of their expressed concerns are items experienced managers would realistically bargain. Concerns about excessive overtime use, excessive leave provisions, and strike limitations are routinely negotiated.
If this proposed ordinance is some sort of rookie bargaining tactic, they need some professional advice concerning ethical collective bargaining; and, no, that is not a contradiction in terms. Risking a citywide labor war to satisfy some deep seated right-wing hatred of unions is a bad deal for Anchorage.
And if these folks are worried about high salaries, they should focus on executive salaries or short-term, hand picked performance contracts rather than salaries for the union employees. Anchorage has a healthy economy. Where do they think all the firemen, policemen, and other city workers spend their money anyway?
— Tom Nelson
Anchorage