Anchorage Municipal Employees Association is a group of approximately 550 employees who work in a wide variety of jobs throughout the Municipality of Anchorage. Municipal employees and their families are a strong and vital part of our community. We are lifeguards, clerks, scale-house workers, engineers, nurses, accountants, etc. We are located in various departments around the city such as the Health Department, Parks and Recreation, City Hall, Anchorage Water and WasteWater Utility, Solid Waste Services, Public Works, Planning and Development Department, library, Merrill Field and the Port of Anchorage to name a few.
Services cuts will result in fewer employees to carry out the services and a reduction in hours of operation at the pools, libraries, utilities, public health and various other municipal offices.
Mayor Dan Sullivan's repeated cuts to essential services are going to move our community back decades.
AMEA entered into difficult negotiations with the Begich administration that lasted nearly a year before a fair contract was achieved. In 2009, in response to the economic crisis across the United States, the AMEA agreed to voluntary wage concessions with the Claman administration that amounted to more than $1 million in savings. Despite our significant sacrifice, in 2010 Mayor Sullivan decided to tax many millions below the voter-approved tax cap. His decision resulted in loss of jobs and public services.
Mayor Sullivan is again considering not to tax to the voter-approved tax cap this year, which will result in more lost jobs and public services. Mayor Sullivan has requested the coalition of unions to provide wage concessions because he prefers paying lower wages over taxing to the cap. Shockingly, while asking his rank-and-file workers to work for less, he gave 3 percent pay increases to his executives.
Mayor Sullivan is requesting public servants give up the wages they bargained for in good faith, while electing to tax below the voter-approved tax cap. Mayor Sullivan repeatedly cuts essential services but won't tax to the voter-approved tax cap. Mayor Sullivan is requesting public servants to take a pay cut while he provides pay increases to his executive employees during a time of budget deficit.
Does the mayor's choice make sense?
Jillanne Inglis is vice president of the Anchorage Municipal Employees Association.
By JILLANNE INGLIS