Legislature(1999 - 2000)

02/02/2000 03:43 PM House L&C

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
txt
           HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                          
                        February 2, 2000                                                                                        
                            3:43 p.m.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION OVERVIEW                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
TAPE                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
00-09, SIDES A & B                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
[NOTE:   Due to  technical difficulties,  portions of the  meeting                                                              
were not recorded.  Log notes are available.]                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  NORMAN ROKEBERG  convened the  House Labor and  Commerce                                                              
Standing Committee meeting at 3:43 p.m.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Committee members  present were Representatives  Rokeberg, Sanders                                                              
and  Murkowski.   Due to  a lack  of a  quorum, Chairman  Rokeberg                                                              
declared the meeting a work session.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
David   Koivuniemi,   Assistant    Commissioner,   Department   of                                                              
Administration, was also present.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
BOB  POE, Commissioner,  Department  of Administration,  discussed                                                              
the current status  of labor negotiations.  All  bargaining units,                                                              
except the  General Government  (GGU), reached  an agreement  last                                                              
year.   All of these  agreements had  "reopener" clauses  on wages                                                              
and benefits  and have been  reopened.  Tentative  agreements have                                                              
been  reached  with  the  Labor, Trades,  and  Crafts  union,  the                                                              
Troopers union,  and the  Masters, Mates, and  Pilots union.   The                                                              
proposals for  these unions  are the same:   The first  year there                                                              
will be a $1,200  flat payment; the second year there  will be a 2                                                              
percent increase  to the base pay;  and the third year  there will                                                              
be 3 percent increase to the base pay.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  POE  responded  to questions  and  discussed  health                                                              
insurance  for state  employees.   He discussed  SCR 11 from  last                                                              
year and  said it  only applied to  last year.   He discussed  net                                                              
zero costs.  He described a study  currently being conducted which                                                              
compares  the  wages of  state  employees  versus those  of  other                                                              
Alaskans.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER POE explained the contract  documents being forwarded                                                              
to  legislature.    He  advised   that  having  the  documents  be                                                              
forwarded to the Office of Management  and Budget (OMB) where they                                                              
will take care  of the final procedures.  He  indicated agreements                                                              
still need to be ratified by the unions.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  ROKEBERG requested  that  Commissioner  Poe provide  the                                                              
committee  with a  copy of  labor  documents.   He wondered  about                                                              
health trusts.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  POE  discussed  health  trusts,  concerns  regarding                                                              
health care insurance, and other health-related issues.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
ALISON ELGEE,  Deputy Commissioner, Department  of Administration,                                                              
discussed  health  care  issues  and  explained  the  health  care                                                              
handouts provided to  the committee.  She discussed  the impact of                                                              
federal  mandates arising  from Mental  Health Parity  legislation                                                              
and portability legislation.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER POE reported on the activities of the Y2K Office.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER ELGEE  discussed leasing  packages for  State                                                              
leased  space.  She  explained the  handouts on  this subject  and                                                              
stated the  new plan is  to have agencies  pay rent on  space they                                                              
occupy.  There  would be an establishment of a  "sinking" fund for                                                              
maintenance, etcetera.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER POE further discussed health care trusts.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG adjourned the House  Labor and Commerce Standing                                                              
Committee meeting at 5:36 p.m.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was recorded and handwritten  log notes were taken.  A                                                              
copy of the  tape(s) and log  notes may be obtained  by contacting                                                              
the House  Records Office at  the Terry Miller  Legislative Office                                                              
Building, 129 Sixth  Street, Room 229, Juneau,  Alaska 99801-1182,                                                              
(907) 465-2214,  and after  adjournment of  the second  session of                                                              
the Twenty-First Alaska State Legislature, in the Legislative                                                                   
Reference Library, Terry Miller Legislative Office Building, 129                                                                
Sixth Street, Room 102, Juneau, Alaska 99801-1182, (907) 465-                                                                   
3808.                                                                                                                           

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