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Rebooting an appliance or computer has the mystifying power of getting the electronic device back in working order. A successful reboot allows us to continue to use the same machine with a much more positive experience.
As the Alaska Legislature reconvenes with a fresh crop of members with new ideas, perhaps it can work in a similar way. A reset, reboot, restart so our existing democratically elected leaders and legislative structure can work for Alaskans in a more productive way.
There is already some indication that things will work better this session. So far, the state Senate has agreed to work as a bipartisan coalition and Gov. Mike Dunleavy told Senators at a pre-session retreat that he too wants to make a fresh start. The Alaska House of Representatives got organized and selected leaders. This is good news, because there are matters that need immediate attention and the House is part of the solution.
As the business manager for a trade union of electrical and communications workers, I am heartened to see education funding as a top priority for legislators, as well as the governor. Our organization has been tracking the potential projects to be funded with federal dollars from Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that passed last year and all projects will require educated, skilled workers at every level to get the projects built.
Public schools produce most of our workforce and many of our workers have kids in public schools. A solid education system with an adequate Base Student Allocation is our first defense against a worker shortage and the best investment we can make to ensure economic growth since good school districts attract employers and investors too.
Our students need the academic tools to tackle the newest technology and to dream up and implement solutions to challenges linked to everything from oil and gas to renewable resources to carbon capture utilization and even hydrogen production. School districts around the state have tools that already exist such as Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. CTE education at the middle and high school level provides students with an in-depth introduction to career fields and lead to industry-recognized certifications, apprenticeships and postsecondary education.
For trade unions such as IBEW, this means students come to our apprenticeship program already prepared to begin the intensive, technical programs we offer. More programs like this are already in the works across school districts because it is a guaranteed way to give students more options for careers and to give businesses a way to employ an Alaska-grown workforce.
Our state needs time to map out the projects, build up the workforce and sequence the work so not every project is mobilizing at the same time. Our elected leaders can make this all a reality by building out a budget for major infrastructure investment that uses a multi-year approach.
This gives us time to educate, hire and train Alaska workers and set us up for longer term economic growth instead of the old boom and bust model. Alaska can no longer afford that.
For practical reasons, it makes sense to patiently plan project funding over time because federal funding will be dispersed to states that way too.
Communities across Alaska have identified key projects that will better connect us and bring more affordable and greener energy that will be easier on the planet and allow individuals and industry to flourish. Power generation, Railbelt transmission grid modernization, broadband, transportation, ports and clean drinking water systems are some of the many projects that will be built by people in the skilled trades and utilized by all.
As electricians and communication workers, we look to the cost-effective, easier fixes first when faced with a problem and have learned that things aren’t always broken beyond repair. A reset is sometimes all it takes. A new year and new legislative session give us all a chance to do just that.
Let’s flip the breaker together and allow things to work a little better. It’s time to get things done.
Marcie Obremski is the business manager for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547, which represents more than 4,000 electrical, communications, construction, government and health care workers across the state of Alaska.
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