Alaska's labor agency has management and a union teaching bargaining together

Public employers and unions in Alaska can sit in on a bargaining refresher this month, taught by both sides of the table at once.

The Alaska Labor Relations Agency has the session set for 11 am Sept. 29, part of a quarterly series it runs on labor relations in the state. Presenting are Dallas Hargrave, human resources and risk management director for the City and Borough of Juneau, and Michael Snyder, a business agent with IBEW Local 1547.

The agency administers Alaska's collective bargaining laws for municipalities, boroughs, school districts and the University of Alaska, and hears unfair labor practice charges. Its most recent annual report counted three filed in a year, two alleging bad faith bargaining and one alleging interference with employees' protected rights.

The next session is Nov. 6, with mediator Myla Hite on models of bargaining. Two more are on the calendar for 2027 without topics or presenters yet.

The agency describes the series as a non-adversarial space for sharing ideas, and can be reached at [email protected].