GENERAL GENERAL Solidarity Update ELECTIONELECTION 2016 2016October 2016 October 2016 COVER ASEA PAC Supports PFD Voter Registration Among the state races, federal offices, and presidential electoral votes to be decided in November’s General Election, two ballot measures will also go before Alaska voters. PAGE 2 ASEA Endorsed Candidates The first ballot measure links Permanent Fund Dividend applications to voter registrations and House 1 - Scott Kawasaki would automatically register a PFD applicant to vote, if eligible. House 2 - Steve Thompson Senate B - Luke Hopkins Proponents assert that PFD Voter Registration will benefit young and rural Alaskans, House 3 - Christina Sinclair residents who relocate frequently, and military service members. By linking voter registration House 4 - David Guttenburg with PFD applications, all Alaskans can keep their voter registration current and accurate House 5 - Adam Wool without additional paperwork and effort. Famous Words of Solidarity The petition drive to qualify PFD Voter Registration for the ballot resulted in more than 46,000 PAGE 3 signatures from around the state. ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) The ASEA Political Action Committee voted unanimously to contribute a total of $10,000 to House 6 - Jason Land the campaign, adding its support with that of other organizations including AFL-CIO Alaska, BP House 7 - No Endorsement House 8 - No Endorsement Alaska, NAACP, ACLU, NEA-Alaska, and numerous regional and native corporations. House 9 - No Endorsement A broad coalition of organizations has thrown support behind the PFD Voter Registration House 10 - No Endorsement campaign to promote the concept and educate Alaskans. More information can be found at House 11 - Bert Verrall House 12 - Gretchen Wehmhoff http://pfdvoter.com House 13 - No Endorsement No opposing viewpoints to the PFD Voter Registration ballot measure were published in the House 14 - Joe Hackenmueller Senate H - Bill Wielechowski election pamphlet. House 15 - Gabrielle LeDoux The second of the ballot measures would amend the Alaska Constitution to allow the House 16 - Ivy Spohnholtz issuance of general obligation bonds by the State for underwriting post-secondary student House 17 - Andrew Josephson House 18 - Harriett Drummond loans. The question itself does not authorize indebtedness, only adds post-secondary student loans to the narrow list of subjects for which voters can be asked that the state incur debt. Page 4 ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) According to a statement of support printed in the Official Election Pamphlet, “The debt will be Senate J - Tom Begich issued through the Alaska Student Loan Corporation (ASLC), which makes loans available to House 19 - Geran Tarr students at the lowest interest rates it can based on the bond market.” House 20 - Les Gara House 21 - Matt Claman In turn, borrowing students would pay back the loans and the program would operate at no House 22 - No Endorsement cost. Senate P - Forrest McDonald House 23 - Chris Tuck No opposing viewpoints to the proposed constitutional amendment were received for the House 24 - Sue Levi election pamphlet. House 25 - Pat Higgins House 26 - No Endorsement PAGE 5 ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) Senate N - Vince Beltrami House 27 - Harry Crawford (directory continued on page 2) Page 2 - GENERAL ELECTION 2016- Oct. 2016 Solidarity Update Scott Kawasaki, (Incumbent - D) Christina Sinclair, (D) The ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 PAC House District 1 - Downtown Fairbanks House District 3 - North Pole/Badger recommends the following list of ●Supports a “Defined Benefit” candidates for the upcoming General ●Has consistently voted to system for Alaska’s public ratify negotiated contracts Election to be held on Tuesday, employees ●Supports a Defined Benefit ●Opposes contracting out of public November 8. Recommendations are Option for public employees services based on questionnaires returned by ● Opposes moving state the candidate and legislative voting employees from unionized to “At Will” status www.akdemocrats.org/rep_kawasaki records. PAC endorsements for public ●Would support appropriations to fund collective office are based on the candidate’s bargaining agreements & would oppose any support for public employee issues, Steve Thompson, (Incumbent - R) legislation that hinders collective bargaining House District 2 - Fairbanks/ Ft. Wainwright not party affiliation. http://www.christinasinclairforalaska.com ●Number one priority is The following recommendations affordable energy for reflect political positions that ASEA/ David Guttenburg, (Incumbent - D) residents of Interior Alaska House District 4 - Western Fairbanks AFSCME Local 52 PAC believes are in ●“Time to look at responsible the best interest of public employees. spending and balancing the ●Believes that State workers are budget.” entitled to all the benefits of collective bargaining and the ●Key priority is improving education from the security of a negotiated beginning grades through the university level agreement http://elections.alaska.gov/election/2016/Primary/ ●Has sponsored legislation to provide a Defined (directory continued from page 1) CandidateOEP/23240204.pdf Benefit retirement option House 28 - Shirley Cote House 29 - No Endorsement https://www.facebook.com/GuttenbergforStateHouse House 30 - Shauna Thornton Luke Hopkins, (D) Senate District B Senate P - Gary Stevens North Pole/Badger & Western Fairbanks Adam Wool, (Incumbent - D) House 31 - Paul Seaton House 32 - Louise B. Stutes ●Supports a Defined Benefit House District 5 - Chena Ridge/Airport House 33 - Sam Kito III retirement system for public ●Supports providing a Define House 34 - No Endorsement employees House 35 - Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins ●As Mayor of the Fairbanks Benefit option for public North Star Borough, he employees PAGE 6 recognized the right of ●Opposes privatization of employees to form a union. ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) government services House 36 - Dan Ortiz Was one of the first mayors to allow collective ●Opposes moving employees House 37 - Bryce Edgmon bargaining without an election from unionized to “At Will” status House 38 - Zach Fansler ●Opposes moving state employees from ● Would oppose any move to make Alaska a The Executive Board President’s Corner unionized status to “At Will” employees without “Right To Work” state union protection Did You Know? http://hopkinsforsenate.com/ http://www.adamwool.com/ PAGE 7 ASEA Endorsed Candidates (continued) Senate T - Donny Olson House 39 - Neal Foster House 40 - Dean Westlake U.S. Senate - Lisa Murkowski U.S. Representative - Steve Lindbeck Time has arrived when working people should decide on the necessity of united action as citizens at the ballot box. - Resolution of the American Federation of Labor, 1886 PAGE 8 The labor movement’s political activity is aimed at encouraging the greatest possible participation in elections. ASEA Health Benefit Trust - Trustee Run-off Democracy cannot succeed if only the rich and powerful have and use the votes. -George Meany, 1978 Election Underway! If the political mainstream doesn’t address the issue of economic insecurity, the political fringe surely will—by scapegoating immigrants, minorities, foreigners and by stoking people’s fears. -Robert Kuttner Solidarity Update Page 3 - GENERAL ELECTION 2016- Oct. 2016 Jason Land, (D) Gretchen Wehmhoff, (D) Gabrielle LeDoux, (Incumbent - R) House District 6 - Eielson/Denali/Upper House District 12 - Chugiak/Gateway House District 15 - Elmendorf Yukon/Border Region ●Supports collective bargaining ●Supports a cost neutral Tier V ●Supports Defined Benefits and thinks we should move ●“A contractual obligation is a Defined Benefit for public promise to pay and the employees forward with this legislation especially if its cost neutral Legislature must fund the state’s ●Against outsourcing public contractual obligations to state services as the results are more ●Thinks outsourcing has a employees.” about profits for the contractor negative impact on quality of ●Opposes “Right to Work” legislation not services for the public work and morale of employees ●Supports collective bargaining for all employees ●Opposes reclassifying union jobs to exempt or “At Will” status http://www.facebook.com/VoteLeDoux ●Supports negotiated health insurance and ●Opposes any legislation that threatens union sees no reason for it to be removed from health trusts in collective bargaining collective bargaining www.gretchenforhouse.com Ivy Spohnholtz, - (Incumbent - D) http://www.jasonlandforstatehouse.com House District 16 - College Gate House District 13 ●Supports Defined Benefits ●Opposes privatizing as a way to House District 7 NO ENDORSEMENT balance the budget on the NO ENDORSEMENT Fort Richardson/North Eagle River backs of workers Greater Wasilla ●Opposes moving from unionized as this is a way Joe Hackenmueller, (N/A) around union representation and protection House District 14 - Eagle River/Chugach ●Supports negotiating of health trust benefit - this House District 8 arrangement has worked well and sees no ●Supports a Defined Benefit reason to change it NO ENDORSEMENT system option Big Lake/Point Mackenzie ●Opposed to privatization of www.ivyforalaska.com government services as it does not save money. The results are lower quality of services House District 9 ●Opposes efforts to reclassify Andrew Josephson, (Incumbent - D) NO ENDORSEMENT union positions to “At Will” status House District 17 - Anchorage University Richardson/East Mat-Su ●“Health Benefits are an essential part of the ●Supports