Joint Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3/9/2026
AMEA Members Vote to Merge with ASEA
AMEA, representing 400 Anchorage municipal employees, will become a chapter of ASEA/AFSCME Local 52
Anchorage – On Wednesday, March 4th, Members of the Anchorage Municipal Employees’ Association (AMEA) – the largest bargaining unit of employees working for the Municipality of Anchorage – voted overwhelmingly to merge with ASEA, Alaska’s largest public employee union representing state & municipal employees.
“We have a bargaining unit of more than 400 public service members across 33 locations, and a team of dedicated volunteers who do our best to represent them. After ASEA led our negotiations in 2025, we saw firsthand the difference a strong, professional organization can make, and it was a no-brainer to seek a formal alliance,” said Paul Hatcher, AMEA President.
“We are really excited to forge this new path together with AMEA,” said Heidi Drygas, Executive Director of ASEA/AFSCME Local 52. “AMEA has been an independent AFSCME affiliate for many years, and what they have accomplished on their own with no dedicated staff is really incredible. We are eager to work together under one umbrella to strengthen our membership and better serve the Anchorage municipal employees we now proudly represent.”
AFSCME President Lee Saunders approved the merger with his signature on Thursday, March 5th. His letter to both organizations can be viewed on our website.
ASEA is the largest public employee union of state and municipal workers in Alaska, representing more than 8,300 Alaskans working for Alaska.
AMEA is the largest public employee union for Municipality of Anchorage, representing more than 400 public service workers serving Anchorage, Girdwood, and Eagle River.
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