When budget negotiations aren’t complete by the end of May, as is the case this year, June begins a countdown to a possible government shutdown if the Operating Budget isn’t approved by July 1. Any uncertainty you experience until the Operating Budget passes is undeserved and unnecessary. I do have faith that legislators will reach a budget agreement before July 1 and not derail the lives of hard-working, dedicated state employees and the programs and services Alaskans rely on. 

Although negotiations have been drawn out before, the important work of voting on a budget usually doesn’t wait until the 11^th hour as it did in 2017. A motivating factor for the Legislature and Administration to avoid a state government shutdown—beyond the obvious burden to state workers, their families, and Alaskans that rely on public services—is that it would cost the State millions of dollars to layoff and cash-out thousands of employees’ accrued leave.

This courtesy update also notes what isn’t happening, namely the Administration punting on providing 30 days’ notice of possible layoff to GGU members.

According to Article 12.04 of our ASEA contract:

In every case of the layoff of any permanent employee, the appointing authority shall make every effort to give written notice to the employee at least thirty (30) calendar days in advance of the effective date of the layoff. The appointing authority shall give at least ten (10) working days written notice.

I believe GGU members should receive 30 days’ notice to make sure you can plan ahead and make decisions that are best for you and your family. I'm disappointed that the Administration announced it would ignore the thirty-day notice and follow the minimum ten days written notice.

Last year was especially challenging for state employees, many of you put yourselves at risk to continue delivering critical services. You deserve more than the bare minimum. If you have additional questions about the state budget process, leave cash-out or other concerns, I encourage you to review previous documents from previous years' budget delays below and contact your ASEA Business Agent with any remaining questions you may have.

If you are feeling a lot of angst or anxiety around this time, don't forget the employee assistance program through the ASEA Health trust: https://www.aseahealth.org/your-benefits/employee-assistance-program-eap

Also, I encourage you to share your concerns with your legislators and the governor. You can do this on your own time, and on your own devices, using your personal email address. If you aren't comfortable reaching out directly, please share your concerns with ASEA and we can forward them on your behalf. We can do this without sharing your name or position.

Thank you for all you do to keep Alaska running. Please don't hesitate if there is anything we can do to continue to support you.

Sincerely,

Jake Metcalfe
Executive Director
ASEA/AFSCME Local 52