State labor agency holds public refresher on collective bargaining Tuesday

The state agency that oversees bargaining between Alaska's public employers and their unions is holding a public session on the basics of collective bargaining at 11 am Tuesday, Sept. 29.

The Alaska Labor Relations Agency says the session is for workers, managers and anyone curious about how contracts get negotiated. It's part of the agency's quarterly Negotiation Project, which it describes as a non-adversarial space for sharing ideas on problems that come up in labor relations.

Two presenters from opposite sides of the table will lead it: Dallas Hargrave, human resources manager for the City and Borough of Juneau, and Michael Snyder, a business agent for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union.

The agency administers the state's Public Employment Relations Act, which governs union bargaining for the state, municipalities, boroughs, the University of Alaska and school districts. Among other things, it runs union elections and hears complaints about unfair labor practices. Under the law, both sides must negotiate in good faith, but neither has to agree to a proposal or make a concession.

People can attend in person in the agency's hearing room at 3301 Eagle St., Suite 208, in Anchorage, or on Zoom. For the Zoom link, contact the agency at 907-269-4895 or [email protected]. The next session, Nov. 6, covers models of bargaining.