Solidarity Update Union Newsletter (Election Issue)
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GENERAL Solidarity Update ELECTION 2014 October 2014 COVER ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 recommends the following list of candidates for the upcoming General Election ASEA Endorsed Candidates to be held on Tuesday, November 4. Recommendations are based on questionnaires returned by the Governor - Bill Walker candidate and legislative voting records. ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 endorsement for public office is based Lt. Governor - Byron Mallott on the candidate’s support for public employee issues, not party affiliation. The following P AGE 2 recommendations reflect political positions that ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 believes are in the best ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) interest of public employees. S Seat A - Tamara Kruse Roselius Walker & Mallott For Governor & Lt. Governor HD 1 - Scott Kawasaki HD 2 - Larry Murakami HD 3 - Tammie Wilson Bill Walker for Byron Mallott for HD 4 - David Guttenburg Governor (U) Lt. Governor (D) HD 5 - Adam Wool Lt. Governor - Byron Mallott (continued from pg. 1) Bill Walker and Byron Mallott announced their joint candidacy. They believe that their decision to move PAGE 3 ahead as a team is in the best interest of the state. They believe that the state is on the wrong course. ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) Both believe that there is a great deal at stake, and that their combined ticket is a strong and balanced HD 6 - Wilson Justin partnership that is the best choice for moving Alaska forward. S Seat C - Click Bishop WALKER - I am running for Governor because it is time we, as Alaskans, take control of our future. HD 7 - Verne Rupright Issues I see facing Alaskans today are: HD 8 - Mark Neuman Oil & Gas - Alaska is in an energy crisis now and we are doing little to solve this crisis. HD 9 - Jim Colver - Alaska is facing a huge fiscal cliff as the result of declining oil revenues. S Seat E - Warren Keogh Energy Crisis - Immediate steps need to be taken to get economical energy to Alaska’s HD 10 - Neal Lacy communities. HD 11 - Pete LaFrance HD 12 - No Endorsement - Alaskans cannot continue to pay these exorbitant prices for energy and wait for Alaska to S Seat F - Patricia Chesbro start over and still not come up with a solution for economical energy. HD 13 - No Endorsement Health Care - We must increase the number of health care providers throughout the state. HD 14 - No Endorsement - I support the Medicaid expansion with the caveat of continued federal funding― S Seat G - No Endorsement 4,000 new Alaska jobs would be created and lower-cost coverage for 40,000+ Alaskans HD 15 - Gabrielle LeDoux would be provided. HD 16 - Max Gruenberg Education - Our public schools must be adequately funded. Page 4 - It is the quality of our teachers, not our facilities and equipment, that make the critical ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) difference. S Seat I - Berta Gardner - Our focus needs to be on attracting and retaining the very best educators who approach HD 17 - Andrew Josephson their positions as a calling, not just a job. HD 18 - Harriett Drummond Jobs for Alaskans HD 19 - Geran Tarr Tourism HD 20 - Les Gara S Seat K - Clare Ross Alaska Marine Highway HD 21 - Matt Claman Fish Management HD 22 - Marty McGee Agriculture Ballot Measure No. 3 Minimum Wage-Vote Yes MALLOTT - I know that polarizing partisanship is not how solutions are achieved. It takes P AGE 5 leadership and hard work. This campaign is about building a better Alaska and who’s best prepared to ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) get us there. HD 23 - Chris Tuck HD 24 - Michael “Mike” Fenster My first priority is education - It grows everything else, from universal voluntary pre-K services to S Seat M - Kevin Meyer timely predictable K-12 funding, expecting excellence in the classroom and reducing student loan HD 25 - Patti Higgins interest rates. HD 26 - Bob Lynn I will coordinate and consolidate the efforts to bring affordable power and fuel to all Alaskans (there’s (directory continued on page 2) no single answer, there can and should be a singular focus on energy at the highest level). Energy costs are crippling, Alaska faces critical choices - not in 10 or 20 years, but now. (continued on page 2) Page 2 - GENERAL ELECTION 2014- Oct. 2014 Solidarity Update (directory continued from page 1) S Seat N - Harry T. Crawford HD 27 - Matt Moore HD 28 - Mike Hawker S Seat O - No Endorsement HD 29 - No Endorsement HD 30 - Shauna Thornton Tamara Kruse Roselius ― Tammie Wilson ― House District 3 Famous Words of Solidarity Senate District A - (D) (Incumbent - R) PAGE 6 ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) It is important to note that I will always make time to S Seat P - Gary Stevens “Right to Work” changes, work accommodate your schedule HD 31 - No Endorsement against fair wages. These laws and hear your concerns; your HD 32 - Louise B. Stutes change the balance of power thoughts are important . Thank between employers and S Seat Q - Dennis Egan you for the honor of working for employees, so that workers HD 33 - Sam Kito III you. HD 34 - Cathy Munoz reap fewer of the gains. I cannot support “Right to Work “ or out sourcing for these reasons. HD 35 - Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins http://www.housemajority.org/members/ HD 36 - Daniel “Dan” Ortiz http://www.alaskademocrats.org/candidates/ twilson/ Did You Know? democrats-for-state-senate/tamara-kruse-roselius PAGE 7 ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) Scott Kawasaki ― House District 1 David Guttenburg ― House District 4 S Seat S - Lyman Hoffman (Incumbent - D) HD 37 - Bryce Edgmon (Incumbent - D) HD 38 - Bob Herron I have consistently voted to S Seat T - Donny Olson ratify the negotiated contracts State workers are entitled to all the HD 39 - Neal Foster and to fully fund contracts that b e n e f i t s o f c o l l e c t i v e HD 40 - No Endorsement have already been ratified. bargaining and the security of a AO-37 Repeal Vote No negotiated agreement. PAGE 8 http://www.alaskascott.com/ ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) U.S. Senate - Mark Begich http://www.re-electdavidguttenberg.org/ U.S. House - Forrest Dunbar Larry Murakami ― House District 2 (D) Now is not the time to reduce educational funding Adam Wool ― House District 5 (D) for Alaska. Alaska must diversify it’s economic base State budget, energy prices and and prioritize spending education are main motivators for running in this election. “In two focusing on the needs and years the politicians have taken of the Alaskan people. Alaska from surplus to http://www.newsminer.com/house-district-larry- billion dollar deficits while murakami/article_10acaf2a-24be-11e4-adb0- shortchanging our schools and ignoring the 001a4bcf6878.html high cost to heat our homes.” http://democracy.com/adam4statehouse/ default.aspx (continued from page 1) Our state is in a dangerous situation: revenues don’t cover costs and savings will be depleted within five years. Balancing the books while supporting vital public services is fundamental and urgent. http://www.walkerforalaska.com/walker-mallott-announce-joint-candidacy/ Solidarity Update Page 3 - GENERAL ELECTION 2014- Oct. 2014 Wilson Justin ― House District 6 - (D) Jim Colver ― House District 9 - (R) Patricia Chesbro ― Senate District F - (D) My highest priority is As your representative I will always education. I believe that small listen to you! Your voice matters! I support unions. “At will” business has long been over- Several of my priorities are: Re- e m p l o y e e s a r e v e r y looked as a source of stability source Development of our oil, vulnerable in their jobs. “Right in rural Alaska. More should gas, minerals and timber. Educa- to Work” is one of our biggest be done for small business. tion - I support traditional schools, misnomers. “Right to Work” home schooling and charter states have lower wages, fewer schools. I support Military & Veterans - in obtaining http://www.elections.alaska.gov/doc/oep/2014/cs/ benefits, and fewer protections than states benefits and healthcare. Wilson_Justin_HD6.pdf with strong collective bargaining laws. I am http://www.elections.alaska.gov/doc/oep/2014/cs/ totally against “Right to Work” laws. Jim_Colver_HD9.pdf Click Bishop — Senate District C http://www.elections.alaska.gov/doc/ (Incumbent - R) oep/2014/cs/Chesbro-for-web.pdf Warren Keogh ― Senate District E - (I) I oppose the privatization of basic government services The state should provide em- because cost savings are rarely ployees with the option of a de- House District 13 achieved and continuity of fined benefit retirement since a NO ENDORSEMENT service to the public is often DB provides greater retirement disrupted. I do not support security which is as important to inappropriate classification employee well-being as salaries shifting from represented employees to exempt and other benefits. House District 14 status, especially for the purpose of denying employees the right to representation. http://www.keoghforsenate.com/ NO ENDORSEMENT http://www.elections.alaska.gov/doc/oep/2014/cs/ Neal T. Lacy ― House District 10 - (D) Click_Bishop_SDC.pdf Alaska’s minimum wage has not kept up with inflation and needs to State Senate G Verne Rupright ― House District 7– (I) be raised. I believe that public NO ENDORSEMENT money should be used for public The concepts of Collective education. Bargaining are important to the Gabrielle LeDoux ― House District 15 stability of a workforce. “Right http://www.democracy.com/neallacy (Incumbent - R) to Work” would force skilled personnel to work for less I support collective bargaining. A without any protections. contractual obligation is a Pete P. LaFrance ― House District 11-(D) promise to pay. The Legislature http://verneruprightforstatehouse.com/ must fund the state’s contractual Unions protect worker’s rights obligations to state employees.