00SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 16                                                                                     
01 Urging the state executive branch administration, University of Alaska                                                  
02 administration, and Alaska Court System administration to negotiate collective                                          
03 bargaining agreements that result in a net zero cost increase.                                                          
04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
05  WHEREAS the legislature has declared that it is the public policy of the state to                                      
06 promote harmonious and cooperative relations between government and its employees; and                                  
07  WHEREAS it is the responsibility of the state executive branch administration,                                         
08 university administration, and court system administration to negotiate and enter into collective                       
09 bargaining agreements with the representatives of their employees; and                                                  
10  WHEREAS the legislature realizes that recurring revenues fall dramatically short of                                    
11 recurring expenditures in the long term; and                                                                            
12  WHEREAS the legislature is completing the second year of a five-year financial plan                                    
13 in an effort to close the fiscal gap between revenues and expenditures; and                                             
14  WHEREAS the legislature finds it is irresponsible to increase the cost of personal                                     

01 services in a time of deficit spending; and                                                                             
02  WHEREAS the United States Department of Labor in 1993 reported that Alaska                                             
03 public sector wages are 144 percent higher than the national average; and                                               
04  WHEREAS the United States Department of Commerce in 1993 reported that average                                         
05 Alaska state and local government salaries are 30.7 percent above the private sector; and                               
06  WHEREAS the state Department of Administration reported in 1994 that state                                             
07 employees are adequately compensated and may be ahead of the market for most job                                        
08 classifications; and                                                                                                    
09  WHEREAS the Long Range Financial Planning Commission recommended the                                                   
10 enactment of a tier III retirement system, the revision of geographic differentials, collective                         
11 bargaining agreements based on market conditions, and an examination of publicly funded                                 
12 health plans to reduce personal services costs to the state; and                                                        
13  WHEREAS the legislature has appropriated funds to conduct an independent, objective                                    
14 study comparing state employees' pay and benefits with comparable private industry                                      
15 employees' pay and benefits; and                                                                                        
16  WHEREAS this salary and benefit study will further aid the state in responsible                                        
17 negotiations by providing a comparison on which to base future costs of personal services;                              
18  BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the current state executive                                     
19 branch administration, university administration, and Alaska Court System administration to                             
20 negotiate collective bargaining agreements that result in a net zero cost increase through                              
21 reducing salaries, reducing benefits to pay increased salaries, implementing a two-tier salary                          
22 structure,  restructuring publicly funded health plans, or other methods; and be it                                     
23  FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature will disapprove the                                                 
24 monetary terms of any collective bargaining agreement that results in an increased cost of                              
25 personal services; and be it                                                                                            
26  FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the current state                                             
27 executive branch administration, university administration, and Alaska Court System                                     
28 administration to negotiate future collective bargaining agreements that result in a net zero cost                      
29 to the state.                                                                                                           
30  COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Tony Knowles, Governor,                                       
31 State of Alaska; the Honorable Mark Boyer, Commissioner, Department of Administration;                                  

01 Jerome Komisar, President, University of Alaska; and Stephanie J. Cole, Administrative                                  
02 Director, Alaska Court System.