I am writing to rebut statements attributed to Sen. Pete Kelly that were reported June 2 by Anchorage TV station KTVA in an article titled, "Republican senator willing to compromise on education funding if Democrats give up union contracts." Kelly, along with Sens. Anna Mackinnon and Peter Micciche of the Senate Finance Committee, are the principal bad actors responsible for the current comedy of errors known as the 29th Legislature First Session Budget Mess. Mr. Kelly has been making statements regarding the current budget negotiations, and is attempting to pass off his personal opinions as facts. Mr. Kelly has a bully pulpit, thus my commentary.
Kelly wants to blame House Minority Democrats for the budget logjam, but without his ''my way or the highway'' brand of statesmanship, this budget would have been a done deal weeks ago. In the KTVA report, Kelly called the House Minority Democrats "recalcitrant people" and was attributed as indicating he is not interested in compromising on union contracts. However, for Kelly's information, the unions are not interested in negotiating contracts that are not worth the paper they are written on.
In late 2012 and running up to the fiscal year end in 2013, the Alaska Public Employees Association and the Alaska State Employees Association and the State of Alaska separately negotiated and signed three-year contracts for FY 2014 through 2016 for general government, confidential and supervisory employees. The FY 2016 portion of the signed contract is what Kelly and the senators who support him are trying to disenfranchise state workers from at this time.
It is true that the Alaska Supreme Court has controversially ruled that under the Public Employment Relations Act, the Alaska Legislature has the legal right to refuse to fund individual years of signed contracts; however, this does not mean it is the right thing to do. In fact, it is the very wrong thing to do, because it is unethical, unfair and it just isn't right. It's never been done before in regard to this context, and for the members I represent, it is a matter of principle.
Alaska used to be known as the stronghold for values that many now find passé. Your word is your bond, your handshake. Kelly and others can certainly grasp this very Alaskan concept. When you sign your name to a contract, it's a done deal, and you don't come whining back to the table to undo it just because you're trying to make political hay. Kelly and those who voted for Gov. Parnell's oil tax giveaway, SB 21, sure didn't climb up on their soapbox and demand a new bill be drafted in order to save billions of dollars for state revenue, after their colossal blunder and the oil price collapse. I think voters know who to blame for that debacle.
The budget can be balanced in numerous different ways. There are plenty of sound options, and negating legally negotiated contracts is neither intelligent, nor cost-conscious.
Alaska's state supervisors are well aware of the financial crisis and how we as a state got there. Supervisors are generally the ones to turn on the lights in the morning and lock the doors at night. State Supervisors are partners with their employer, working to ensure quality and reduce costs while accomplishing the mission of the employer. State Supervisors know very well the challenges we will face when negotiating new contracts beginning in late 2015, early 2016. Clearly understood is the fact that financial realities will require the administration and the unions to work hard to negotiate contracts that are both fair, and realistic. As always, state supervisors are ready to do their part.
What the vast majority of State Supervisors will not do, however, is stand idly by while some politicians begin selling snake oil at their expense. State lawmakers should ask themselves how much extra it would cost the state if a strike were called and state government shut down. While a strike is the last thing any stakeholder, state or union, wants to see, if it were to happen, it would not be the state workers who bear the responsibility of the needless expense. That responsibility would be placed squarely on the backs of those who mistakenly thought they could ride rough-shod over a legally binding contract. It is a matter of principle. Fair is fair. A deal's a deal. A contract is a contract.
Kelly called the House Minority Democrats "recalcitrant people." Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines "recalcitrant" as: "Stubbornly refusing to obey rules or orders." I disagree with Kelly. I think the "recalcitrant people," as he put it, are those who stubbornly justify their unethical position when the right thing to do is staring them in the face.
Jef Morgan is a state employee and lifelong Alaskan. He has written this commentary in his capacity as the elected chair of the Southeast Chapter of the Alaska Supervisory Unit (SU), Local #4900. The SU has approximately 2,300 members who serve as supervisors for the State of Alaska. The SU is part of the Alaska Public Employees Association (APEA) and is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Public Employees Division.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.