Two newly unionized teams of Alaska Power & Telephone workers in the Upper Lynn Canal have seen significant changes since they were formally recognized by the company.
The two groups were formed after five linemen and one power plant operator between Haines and Skagway voted to unionize in late November. Then, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers assistant business manager Jesse Young said a group of telephone workers reached out to the union as well. The union asked the company to voluntarily recognize them on Dec. 12, avoiding the need for a second round of voting. The company chose to recognize the four telephone combination technicians as a second, separate, bargaining unit in late December.
But since then, two telecommunications apprentices in Haines were laid off last week, two other unionized workers in Skagway transferred to non-union positions within the company and another lineman left for a different job. That leaves three linemen and two telephone workers between the two communities waiting to negotiate contracts with the company.
Young said while the company does not generally lay off workers due to a slowdown during the winter months, the union does not believe the move was retaliatory. Rather, the company’s work outlook has changed due, in part, to federal grants for some work that have been held up.
“Nothing that’s a red flag, unfortunately for the hands that got laid off,” Young said. “If [the company] got this federal approval for this project – it wouldn’t have been an issue.”
He was not sure what specific grants or projects were being held up and, when reached for comment, a spokesperson for the company did not clarify. Instead, the layoffs were blamed on “rising costs, increased competition and a decrease in construction activity,” according to a written statement attributed to telecommunications chief operating officer Zachary Layman.
The layoffs have shown that local workers are in a uniquely vulnerable position right now because, while they have unionized, IBEW has not yet negotiated collective bargaining agreements with AP&T.
That means that while they’re being represented by the union, they’re not paying dues and are not yet full members. If they were full members, when laid off they would, essentially, get into a queue with the union for comparable work. But that’s made more complicated by the fact that AP&T is the only company of its type in town.
“I can find them work, but it’s not going to be in Haines,” Young said. “One guy is working in construction. The other one doesn’t want to leave his family. I’m trying to find him something in Juneau. Ultimately, we want them back at AP&T and working and to be contributing members of the union they want to work in.”
The two workers who were laid off were given severance packages and Young said the union negotiated recall language requiring that if work picks up for AP&T, those workers will be given the right of first refusal to go back to the company.
“If there’s work for them, we want them to be working at AP&T,” he said.