Voting begins Wednesday for University of Alaska staff across the state to decide on forming a union. The group is called the Coalition of Alaska University Employees for Equity.
The nascent union is organizing as part of the United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, one of the largest unions in the nation.
Mike DeLue is on the organizing committee for the group. He works for the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center as a research professional, but spoke to KTOO in his capacity as an organizer.
DeLue said organizers’ conversations with staff members often focus on wanting stability and fair compensation.
“They’re talking about the fact that things feel unstable, and a union can help provide stability, can argue for stability, argue for keeping us competitive in the market of universities in the United States, as well as making sure that we compensate staff appropriately,” he said.
The group filed a petition to form a union last year. It would include permanent UA staff that work in financial aid, advising, communications and more. There are some exceptions, such as supervisors. Roughly 2,300 employees are eligible to vote in an election on forming the union. Doing so requires a simple majority of voters. The election is run by the Alaska Labor Relations Agency, or ALRA and is conducted through emailed ballots.
If approved, the union would join five others that already represent university employees including faculty, adjunct instructors and graduate student workers. It would also be the largest union in the system.
Jonathon Taylor is the university’s director of public affairs. He said the university administration opposes unionizing.
“We think that it would reduce the flexibility that employees currently have and slow decision making and also limit our ability to respond to financial uncertainty,” he said. “That said, that is an operational position. It’s not an ideological position, and employees certainly have a right to decide whether or not that’s what they want.”
Taylor said the university encourages all eligible staff to vote to ensure their voice is heard in the process.
DeLue said flexibility in some aspects can be incorporated into union contracts.
“We know for a fact, both from other universities where staff have unionized, but also from the other unions that represent workers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, have negotiated for flexibility in terms of things like merit-based wage increases,” he said.
Terms like wage increases would all have to be negotiated in the contract. That wouldn’t come until after the Alaska Labor Relations Agency certifies that the union is formed and the bargaining process begins.
Eligible staff have until March 31 at 4 p.m. to cast their vote. DeLue said they expect an initial count of votes to come out on April 1.
