2002-08-14                     House Journal                      Page 4076
HB 504                                                                                            
The following letter, dated July 1, 2002, was received:                                             
                                                                                                    
"Dear Speaker Porter:                                                                               
                                                                                                    
Under the authority of art. II, sec. 15, of the Alaska Constitution, I                              
have vetoed the following bill:                                                                     
                                                                                                    
      CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 504(FIN) am                                                             
      "An Act relating to the wages of people working in the fisheries                              
      business."                                                                                    
                                                                                                    
This bill would have negated the minimum wage increase for workers                                  
in remote seafood processing plants by allowing employers to charge                                 
them for room and board.  In fact, some workers could have been                                     
forced to turn up to a fifth of their wages for employer-provided room                              
and board.                                                                                          
                                                                                                    
The practice of charging workers for room and board has been banned                                 
since Statehood, more than 40 years ago.  It applies to no other                                    
industry in Alaska and permitting it for the seafood industry would                                 
open the door to a terrible precedent for many Alaskans who work at                                 
remote locations.                                                                                   
                                                                                                    
The State of Alaska has taken or supported numerous policies to assist                              
Alaska's seafood industry.  Through the North Pacific Fishery                                       
Management Council, we developed a rationalization plan for the                                     
Bering Sea crab fishery that assures processors, fishermen and                                      
communities all benefit from a quota system.  The administration                                    
opposed the federal court injunction on ground fishing in the Steller                               
sea lion case.  And I've worked for additional state funds for the                                  
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, led trade missions to Asia and                                  

2002-08-14                     House Journal                      Page 4077
Europe promoting Alaska seafood and continued to advocate                                           
successfully for annual USDA purchases of canned salmon.                                            
                                                                                                    
Thousands of hard-working Alaska families rely on jobs in the seafood                               
industry, which contribute to the economy of our state and adds value                               
to our natural resources.  More than 700 western Alaska residents                                   
worked for seafood processors in 2000, and the percentage of                                        
Alaskans working in this industry grew from 24 to 30 percent between                                
1994 and 2000. They rightfully should benefit from an increase in the                               
minimum wage.  For these reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 504.                                     
                                                                                                    
                                             Sincerely,                                            
                                             /s/                                                    
                                             Tony Knowles                                           
                                              Governor"