Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
05/03/2024 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s):|| Occupational Safety and Health Review Board|| Alaska Labor Relations Agency|| Alaska Workers' Compensation Board|| Confirmation Hearing(s): | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE
May 3, 2024
3:34 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jesse Sumner, Chair
Representative Justin Ruffridge, Vice Chair
Representative Mike Prax
Representative Stanley Wright
Representative Ashley Carrick
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Dan Saddler
Representative Zack Fields
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
Occupational Safety and Health Review Board
Ryan Sharratt Anchorage
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
Alaska Labor Relations Agency
Tammy Schultz Homer
Emily Jackson-Hall Kasilof
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
Alaska Workers' Compensation Board
Mark Sayampanathan
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
TAMMY SCHULTZ, Appointee
Alaska Labor Relations Agency
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Alaska Labor
Relations Agency.
RYAN SHARRAT, Appointee
Occupational Safety and Health Review Board
Kodiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Occupational
Safety and Health Review Board.
EMILY JACKSON-HALL, Appointee
Kasilof, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Alaska Labor
Relations Agency.
DON ETHERIDGE, Lobbyist
Alaska AFL-CIO
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to Ms. Jackson-
Hall's appointment.
MARK SAYAMPANATHAN, Appointee
Alaska Workers' Compensation Board
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Alaska
Workers' Compensation Board.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:34:14 PM
CHAIR JESSE SUMNER called the House Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:34 p.m. Representatives
Ruffridge, Prax, Wright, Carrick, and Sumner were present at the
call to order.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
^Occupational Safety and Health Review Board
^Alaska Labor Relations Agency
^Alaska Workers' Compensation Board
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Occupational Safety and Health Review Board
Alaska Labor Relations Agency
Alaska Workers' Compensation Board
3:34:35 PM
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the only order of business would be
confirmation hearings of the various boards and commissions.
3:35:11 PM
TAMMY SCHULTZ, Appointee, Alaska Labor Relations Agency (ALRA),
testified as appointee to the ALRA. She spoke to the wonderful
opportunities she's had to hear and understand the labor
relations issues in Alaska.
3:36:32 PM
CHAIR SUMNER opened public testimony on the appointment of Ms.
Schultz. After ascertaining that no one wished to testify, he
closed public testimony.
3:37:11 PM
RYAN SHARRAT, Appointee, Occupational Safety and Health Review
Board, testified as appointee to the Occupational Safety and
Health Review Board. He spoke to his experience working with
administrative law judges in reviewing occupational health and
safety cases that lay the foundation for protecting the
workforce in Alaska by providing regulatory guidance.
3:38:41 PM
CHAIR SUMNER opened public testimony on the appointment of Mr.
Sharrat. After ascertaining that no one wished to testify, he
closed public testimony.
3:39:21 PM
EMILY JACKSON-HALL, Appointee, testified as appointee to the
Alaska Labor Relations Agency (ALRA). She spoke to her
experience working as a labor arbitrator and stressed that as a
"professional neutral," she's never had her neutrality or
fairness questioned. She shared that in a recent Senate
confirmation hearing, she was surprised to hear three union
representatives characterize her as "anti-union" due to an op-ed
she wrote about the cost of healthcare. She added that a
follow-up op-ed she wrote in 2023 addressed those concerns. She
highlighted her extensive service in the U.S. Marine Corps and
opined that the board needs a voice that supports both unions
and local government/industry. She said she is eager to fulfill
the public seat on the ALRA and committed to acting as a neutral
for the benefit of Alaskans.
3:42:37 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK thanked Ms. Jackson-Hall for her service.
She referenced an op-ed by Ms. Jackson-Hall in the Fairbanks
Daily News Minor about collective bargaining and asked whether
collective bargaining facilitates harmonious and cooperative
relations between government and its employees or whether it's
better to negotiate one-on-one.
MS. JACKSON-HALL opined that collective bargaining for large
groups of employees can help facilitate effective
[negotiations]. She shared her belief that opinions can evolve,
and that rigid thinking in the face of new information "doesn't
help anyone."
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK relayed that there are 6,000 employees at
the University of Alaska (UA) that represent one of the state's
smaller collective bargaining entities. She asked whether Ms.
Jackson-Hall would consider that a small group of employees.
MS. JACKSON-HALL described "large" as anything over 10 or 20
people, adding that scale matters.
3:46:41 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX questioned the legal guidelines Ms. Jackson-
Hall would follow as an arbitrator.
MS. JACKSON-HALL said, "read the law, follow the law," and
opined that guiding case law should be read, understood, and
followed with regard to the board's decisions on collective
bargaining.
3:48:15 PM
CHAIR SUMNER opened public testimony on the appointment of Ms.
Jackson-Hall.
3:48:28 PM
DON ETHERIDGE, Lobbyist, Alaska AFL-CIO, testified in opposition
to Ms. Jackson-Hall's appointment. He opined that after reading
the op-eds written by Ms. Jackson-Hall, the AFL-CIO does not
believe she could be fair.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked for a copy of Ms. Jackson-Hall's op-
eds.
MR. ETHERIDGE offered to follow up with the requested
information.
3:50:10 PM
CHAIR SUMNER closed public testimony.
3:50:23 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked whether there are any collective
bargaining agreements under the purview of the ALRA that would
be better negotiated on an independent basis.
MS. JACKSON-HALL answered no, not at this time. She noted that
she had provided the committee with a written statement and her
second op-ed that addressed her evolving views. She stated that
her original statement was uninformed because she was not an
Alaska resident at the time of writing it. She said living in
Alaska changed her perspective.
3:52:41 PM
MARK SAYAMPANATHAN, Appointee, Alaska Workers' Compensation
Board, testified as appointee to the Alaska Workers'
Compensation Board. He said he's interested in serving because
it's important for injured workers to get a fair and honest
hearing. He said he was appointed in mid-2023, and the feedback
from his colleagues suggests that he's remained impartial.
3:54:12 PM
CHAIR SUMNER opened public testimony on the appointment of Mr.
Sayampanathan. After ascertaining that no one wished to
testify, he closed public testimony.
3:54:36 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 3:54 p.m.
3:55:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to advance the confirmations of
Ryan Sharrat to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Board;
Tammy Schultz and Emily Jackson-Hall to the Alaska Labor
Relations Agency; and Mark Sayampanathan to the Alaska Workers'
Compensation Board for consideration in the joint session of the
House and Senate. He reminded members that signing the reports
regarding appointments to boards and commissions in no way
reflects individual members' approval or disapproval of the
appointees, and that the nominations are merely forwarded to the
full legislature for confirmation or rejection. There being no
objection, the confirmations were advanced.
3:55:43 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 3:55 p.m. to 3:58 p.m.
3:58:26 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at
3:58 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Tammy Schultz ALRA App_Redacted.pdf |
HL&C 5/3/2024 3:15:00 PM |
|
| Mark Sayampanathan Workers' Comp App_Redacted.pdf |
HL&C 5/3/2024 3:15:00 PM |
|
| 5.11.23 Emily Jackson-Hall ALRA Resume_Redacted.pdf |
HL&C 5/3/2024 3:15:00 PM |
|
| 5.11.23 Emily Jackson-Hall ALRA App_Redacted.pdf |
HL&C 5/3/2024 3:15:00 PM |
|
| Ryan Sharratt Occupational Safety Resume_Redacted (2).pdf |
HL&C 5/3/2024 3:15:00 PM |