Updated | 11:45 a.m. Thursday
Wrangell’s 24 unionized municipal workers went on strike this morning.
An International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers press release says the employees acted because local officials negotiated in bad faith.
Members authorized a strike earlier this month, after they voted down the municipality’s final contract offer.
The Wrangell Borough Assembly voted Tuesday to put those contract terms into place.
The main difference between the two sides is the amount of an across-the-board raise. The borough offered 75 cents an hour. The union wanted $2.50.
Labor officials say the higher amount would balance out health-insurance premium increases. The municipality says the smaller amount is enough to improve most employees’ overall pay and benefits packages.
Borough and union officials were not immediately available for comment. The previous contract expired three years ago.
A municipal press release says the strike includes public works, water, sewer, sanitation, garage, ports and harbors, electric and pool-maintenance employees.
About 35 managers and non-union staff continue to work. The borough says water, sewer and electrical systems will continue to operate.
Wrangell is a central Southeast Alaska community of about 2,300 residents.
Local officials say Wrangell’s curbside garbage collection will continue for now, though pick-up may be later than usual.
It also says harbors will continue to be staffed, though calls could take longer to be returned.
Wrangell has been advertising for temporary workers to fill in during the strike. There’s no word yet on whether any are on the job today.
Original story | 12:09 p.m. Wednesday
Unionized borough workers want more contract talks
Wrangell’s municipal employees’ union has authorized a strike. But one of its leaders said members don’t really want to.
Mark Armstrong is a shop steward for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which represents 24 city and borough staffers.
He said the union voted to authorize a strike twice before this year. Both times, municipal officials responded by resuming contract talks.
He hopes that happens again.
“I don’t know anybody who wants a strike,” Armstrong said. “Certainly the community members don’t want us to strike. I’m sure the city isn’t looking forward to a strike. And neither are the union members. The purpose of the strike is just to bring the city back to the table so we can continue negotiations and hopefully reach a contract that’s agreeable to everybody.”
The Borough Assembly scheduled a special meeting at 5:30 this evening to consider the situation.
Wrangell’s unionized workers have been without a contract for three years.
Management and labor made final wage offers earlier this month. The union proposed an across-the-board, $2.50-an-hour raise. The municipality offered 75 cents.
Armstrong said the union’s proposal balances out another contract term that calls for workers to pay 15 percent of their health insurance costs.
“We’re not seeking a wage increase. We’re just trying to compensate wages enough so that in the end, we don’t fall backwards because we’re going to pay that insurance premium,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong said the borough’s offer would essentially cut paychecks by several hundred dollars each.
The municipality has been preparing for a strike.
Interim Borough Manager Carol Rushmore said it’s recruiting temporary, fill-in staff.
And she’s released a list of services that would slow or stop if workers strike. She said some tasks would be covered by about 35 managers and non-union staffers.
Armstrong said the union has not asked for a wage increase to be retroactive to when the previous contract expired.
“We chose not to pursue that because of the extra burden that that would have been on the city,” Armstrong said. “We realize things are extremely tight.”
In a prepared statement, Rushmore recognized the right of union workers to strike. But she said the municipality’s responsibility is to build a budget it can afford, especially given ongoing state spending reductions.
