From: Mitchell, Grey R (DOL) [grey.mitchell@alaska.gov]

Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2010 4:20 PM

To: Rep. Peggy Wilson

Cc: Scavera, Paula D (DOL); Bell, Guy B (DOL); Nelson, Thomas W (DOL); Rebecca Rooney; Cannon, Sandy L (DOL)

Subject: UPS Layoffs

Dear Representative Wilson,

During our recent telephone discussion, you asked for a list of common questions and answers that might help the affected employees of the announced UPS layoffs during the meeting scheduled for August 31, 2010, at the Anchorage LIO.  The following should provide useful information:

Question:  When are final wages due after an employee is laid off?

Answer:  If the employer terminates the employee, all wages are due within three working days (excluding weekends and holidays) from the date of termination.  However, if an employee is temporarily laid off, final payment is due on or before the next regularly established payday.

Question:  Is the employer required to provide return transportation costs if the employer originally paid my way to Alaska?

Answer:  Yes.  AS 23.10.380 requires the employer to provide transportation costs necessary for the employee to return to the point of hire, if the employer provided transportation costs from that point to Alaska.  However, this requirement does not cover the return transportation costs for family members or household goods.  To invoke the requirement, an employee must make a request to the employer for return transportation costs within 45 days of the date of termination.

Tom Nelson, Director of the Employment Security Division, has provided the following information about the division’s activities associated with the UPS layoffs:

Our Rapid Response unit has been working with Philip Donahue, HR Manager, UPS Flight Operations located in Louisville, KY and Don Creamer, Chief Pilot and head of the union, located in Anchorage since April 2010. Our mission is to mitigate the negative impacts of layoffs by connecting all workers to state employment and reemployment services, social service programs, and training opportunities in order to get them back to work and ease their transition.

We have held monthly rapid response meetings for UPS pilots at the Marriott, downtown Anchorage for the months of May, June, and July and the most recent was on August 11th.  Present at the rapid response meetings are employment and training specialists, unemployment insurance experts, and a local office manager.  Our Rapid Response leader Shawna Harper also attends when available.  

I plan on being available or having Sandy Cannon available to answer wage and hour questions as needed during the 8/31 meeting.  Do you have a call in number established for the meeting at this time?

Grey Mitchell

Director, Labor Standards and Safety

907.465.4855