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“The State Executive Board, on the recommendation of the union’s contract negotiating team, has taken the serious step to authorize a strike vote of our membership,” said ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 President Gordon Glaser.
PRESS RELEASE For immediate release: May 11, 2004
Contact: Jim Duncan, ASEA Business Manager, (907) 277-5200 ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 to Conduct Strike Authorization Vote At its quarterly meeting in Anchorage on May 7-8, the ASEA State Executive Board authorized the union to conduct a Strike Authorization vote of its members, approximately one-half of the state workforce. Preparations for the election will begin immediately, and ballots are expected to be mailed May 20 to some 8,000 general government unit (GGU) members represented by ASEA/AFSCME Local 52. “The State Executive Board, on the recommendation of the union’s contract negotiating team, has taken the serious step to authorize a strike vote of our membership,” said ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 President Gordon Glaser. “The Strike Authorization vote has been made necessary by the failure of the state to bargain fairly during state employee contract negotiations with this union. In turn, the vote has been made possible by the groundswell of support for the union’s position as demonstrated in a recent poll of its members,” Glaser said. The ASEA Executive Board will release results from a telephone poll that indicates more than 80% support of the membership for rejecting Murkowski administration proposals that fail to offer a fair wage package, underfund health insurance, impose 40-hour work weeks arbitrarily, eliminate a guarantee of two consecutive days off, and interfere with union operations. “A significant percentage of the membership clearly agrees with our negotiators that the state’s offer is unacceptable,” said ASEA Business Manager Jim Duncan. “ASEA contract negotiators have met with no success at the table due to the administration’s regressive proposals and its failure to seriously consider any of the proposals we have introduced,” Duncan said. “The state’s unwillingness to join the union in requesting the assistance of a federal mediator leaves the union with no choice but to proceed with the strike authorization vote.” “I believe it is important for everyone to understand that this vote is the clearest and plainest demonstration of our commitment to get a fair and reasonable contract for our members,” Duncan continued. # # # Press contact: Reber Stein, Information Officer, (907) 463-4978,
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