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ASEA, state reach contract agreement
Terms include $1,200 lump sum, raises
State government's largest union has agreed to terms on a new 3-year contract. The Alaska State Employees Association represents just under 7,200 general government employees. The pact now goes to members for a vote and ASEA business manager Chuck O'Connell says the results could be tabulated in about 6 weeks. The agreement includes the same basic terms negotiated with several other labor groups recently. They include a $1,200 lump sum payment on July 1st, a 2 percent pay increase effective in January 2002 and a 3 percent increase effective in January 2003. State contributions to health insurance also would increase. The plan will cost an estimated $10.9-million the first year and $55.9-million over 3 years. Paying that cost is likely to meet resistance in the Legislature.
Alaska Airlines has canceled about a dozen flights today because of the MD-80 (left) stabilizer inspections ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration. Airline official Jack Evans in Seattle says the order duplicates part of the inspections the airline conducted on its own this week. But it's doing them again anyway along with testing of the jackscrew that controls the tail stabilizer. Two planes -- one in Seattle and one in Portland -- are grounded while the NTSB looks at jackscrews that showed metal shavings. Alaska has nearly 500 flights a week on the West Coast. Evans says it's routine for a few to be canceled each day for weather or maintenance problems. The action comes about a week and a half after an Alaska Airlines plane went down in the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles. Five Alaskans died in that crash.
The Coast Guard responded to a fire aboard a fishing boat in the Aleutians this morning. Five crewmembers and a dog aboard the Seattle based American Star were hoisted off by a Coast Guard helicopter and taken to Cold Bay. The decision to abandon ship was made when the crew was unable to bring the fire under control. There were no reports of injuries. The mayday from the 140 foot pot boat came in just before 6:00am. The Cutter Mellon was en route to the scene.
Governor Tony Knowles (below, right) announced today he will introduce legislation to pay for workers' compensation and safety programs through a fee system. The new system will be be phased in over the next four years and be put in place for all employers. The programs are currently paid for with general fund money. Knowles says the amount that will be collected from the new fee system is roughly equivalent to the amount that the state collects now from a tax on workers' compensation insurance premiums. About30 large Alaska employers, including the City and Borough of Juneau, are self-insured and do not pay into the system now. Budget cuts in the last several years have threatened the viability of the programs and a takeover by the federal government was considered last year. Knowles says that's not acceptable. The governor also is introducing a bill to increase worker compensation benefits. He says compensation has not changed in 12 years and must be adjusted for inflation and recent court decisions ordering how injured employees should be treated.
In an effort to solve a problem unique to a single Southeast Alaska town, Senator Frank Murkowski has urged committee approval for his bill to grant the Prince of Walescommunity of Craig (left) about 4,500 acres of federal land. Murkowski says bill is intended to give the nearly 2,100 residents of Craig a tax base, since 93 percent of the area inside the city limits is owned by two Native village corporations, which are exempt from local taxation. Under terms of the bill, Murkowski proposes to give the community the acreage in the Control Lake area which is between Native and state lands less than 20 miles away from Craig.
The mayor of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough this week vetoed a borough assembly proposal for unifying local governments. The borough proposal would compete with a plan being pushed by the city of Ketchikan. Borough mayor Jack Shay says a separate borough consolidation effort would be costly and distracting.
The Native village corporation for Ketchikan has asked the federal government for $1.85-million that now goes to a regional hospital in Sitka. Ketchikan Indian Corporation wants to contract with Ketchikan General Hospital to care for Natives there instead of sending patients to Sitka, an hour away by jet or a dozen hours by ferry.
Super Shot Saturday is scheduled for tomorrow. It's set from 10:00am to 2:00pm at Valley Medical Care at 3020 Hospital Drive, according to Harborview Elementary School Nurse Chris Erickson (right in photo). She was joined on KINY's Capital Chat today by Dr. Amy Dressel (left in photo), the new pediatrician in town. Dr. Dressel reminded parents and guardians to bring shot records with them tomorrow.
Bartlett Regional Hospital is kicking off a new initiative this afternoon. Registered Nurse Laura Stats is the Bartlett 10 State Project Director. She says its a hospital-wide screening program for domestic violence aimed at increasing awareness among patients and staff. This afternoon's kickoff features Lieutenant Governor Fran Ulmer, Senator Kim Elton and Representative Beth Kerttula, among others.
Alaska's commercial fishing will be the subject of a television documentary being filmed in Kodiak (left) next summer. The documentary will be part of a PBS series called "Trailside: Make Your Own Adventure." The half-hour show focuses on ecotourism. The program will cover the whole range of commercial fishing from set netting to at-sea processing. The idea got off the ground with the help of a group called the Alaska Oceans, Seas, and Fisheries Research Foundation. Foundation director Dan Ogg says it will show other Americans how commercial fishermen work to protect fish stocks. Ogg says the program will be scripted locally, and some of its editors will be people involved in Alaska's fisheries.
Eddie Bauer is scheduled to open a store in Fairbanks this spring. A spokesman says the Redmond, Washington-based company also may expand its operation in Anchorage and place a store in Juneau.
A recent burglary is the focus of Crime Line this week. The crime occurred last November 1st in the 3000 block of No Ell Avenue. Police say entry into the residence did not appear to be forced. Severalitems were reported stolen which included a jewelry box, a few items of costume jewelry, approximately eight various gold rings, and a set of gold ear rings. The estimated value of all the missing items is in excess of $3,000. Individuals with information are encouraged to contact Juneau Police or Crime Line immediately. Callers may remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward. The Crime Line number is 586-4243.
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