1996-01-12                     House Journal                      Page 2436
HB 418                                                                       
HOUSE BILL NO. 418 by the House Rules Committee by request of                  
the Governor, entitled:                                                        
                                                                               
                                                                               

1996-01-12                     House Journal                      Page 2437
HB 418                                                                       
An Act relating to salaries for certain officers and employees who            
are not members of a collective bargaining unit; and providing for             
an effective date.                                                             
                                                                               
was read the first time and referred to the Health, Education & Social         
Services, State Affairs, Labor & Commerce and Finance Committees.              
                                                                               
The following fiscal notes apply:                                              
                                                                               
Fiscal note, Alaska Court System, 1/12/96                                      
Fiscal note, Legislative Affairs Agency, 1/12/96                               
                                                                               
The Governors transmittal letter, dated January 12, 1996, appears              
below:                                                                         
                                                                               
Dear Speaker Phillips:                                                         
                                                                               
Under the authority of art. III, sec. 18, of the Alaska Constitution, I am     
transmitting a bill relating to the salaries of state employees who are        
not members of a collective bargaining unit.                                   
                                                                               
This bill would provide for increases in the salary schedule in                
AS39.27.011(a),  effective July 1, 1996, July 1, 1997, and                     
July1,1998, if the federal cost-of-living index indicates that there has       
been an increase in the cost of living during the previous calendar            
year.  The language describing the percentage of increase--capped at           
1.5 percent--is derived from the recently negotiated agreements                
between the state and most employees covered by collective bargaining          
including:  the Alaska State Employees Association, which represents           
employees in the largest state bargaining unit, the General Government         
Unit; the Alaska Public Employees Association, representing the                
Supervisory Unit; and Public Employees Local 71, representing the              
Labor, Trades, and Crafts Unit.                                                
                                                                               
State employees whose salaries are governed by the salary schedule in          
AS39.27.011(a) have not had a cost-of-living adjustment in their               
salaries since 1991.  All state employees whose salaries are determined        
by collective bargaining have had at least one cost-of-living adjustment       
that was not given to the salary schedule employees; members of some           
collective bargaining units have had more than one such adjustment.            

1996-01-12                     House Journal                      Page 2438
HB 418                                                                       
This bill recognizes that inflation affects salary schedule employees          
just as it affects bargaining unit employees.  This bill does not attempt      
to equalize the salary schedules of the unionized and non-unionized            
work forces; it is simply designed to guarantee that, through fiscal year      
1999, non-unionized workers receive the same cost-of-living protection         
as their unionized colleagues.                                                 
                                                                               
I urge your prompt consideration and passage of this bill.                     
                                                                               
							Sincerely,                                                              
							/s/                                                                     
							Tony Knowles                                                            
							Governor