00 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 27                                                                                   
01 Urging the executive branch of state government to negotiate collective bargaining                                      
02 agreements with bargaining organizations representing employees of the Alaska                                           
03 marine highway system 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 to negotiate and enter                                
08 into collective bargaining agreements with the representatives of its employees; and                                    
09  WHEREAS the legislature realizes that recurring revenues fall dramatically short of                                  
10 recurring expenditures in the long term; and                                                                            
11  WHEREAS the legislature is completing the third year of a five-year financial plan                                   
12 in an effort to close the fiscal gap between revenues and expenditures; and                                             
13  WHEREAS the legislature finds it is irresponsible to increase the cost of personal                                   
14 services in a time of deficit spending; and                                                                             
01  WHEREAS the collective bargaining agreements for each of the marine highway                                          
02 system bargaining units will expire in April 1999, and the administration will, therefore, be                           
03 entering into contract negotiations with the representatives of those bargaining units in the near                      
04 future; and                                                                                                             
05  WHEREAS the legislature desires to integrate into the current marine highway system                                  
06 vessel operations a series of day boats or feeder vessels, which will require that the collective                       
07 bargaining agreements with the unions representing marine highway system employees address                              
08 different working hours, terms, and conditions of employment than the hours, terms, and                                 
09 conditions addressed in the current union contracts;                                                                    
10  BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the administration to                                         
11 negotiate terms for staffing on feeder vessel operations and day boats that reflect the lowest                          
12 level of staffing possible; and be it                                                                                   
13  FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the executive branch                                        
14 to negotiate future collective bargaining agreements that result in a net zero cost increase                            
15 through reducing salaries, reducing benefits to pay increased salaries, implementing a two-tier                         
16 salary structure, restructuring publicly funded health plans, or other methods; and be it                               
17  FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature will disapprove the                                               
18 monetary terms of any collective bargaining agreement that results in an increased cost of                              
19 personal services.