Collective Bargaining FAQ

Email the nomination to APEA/AFT Business Manager Jeff Kasper at jkasper@apea-aft.org by Friday, August 28, 2026.

• Every negotiator must be nominated, including members who served on the last team. Nobody carries over automatically.
• Any SU member in good standing may be nominated. You may nominate yourself.
• Negotiators attend the Biennial Caucus on October 23 and 24, 2026 in Anchorage. The union covers business leave, travel, lodging, and registration.
• Serving takes real time. Read the next question before you accept a nomination.

If an election is needed, electronic ballots go out Thursday, September 3, 2026 and are due Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

A negotiator on the last team took just under 200 hours of leave from work for negotiations and related work. That is per person, not shared across the team: five weeks away from your job.

The hours do not stop there. Team calls, drafting and reviewing proposal language, caucusing between sessions, and talking with members fill evenings and weekends on your own time.

The calendar is not yours. Bargaining dates move, and the work behind the scenes lands when it lands. Negotiators on the last team postponed planned vacations to keep sessions covered. You commit to being available when the team needs you.

The commitment outlasts the contract. Preparation for the next round starts the day you reach tentative agreement on the current one. Ratification closes a contract, not the work.

When a negotiator does not carry their share, that work lands on the rest of the team, and members feel it at the table. Accept a nomination only if you can show up for it.

You will sit in the room where the wages, leave, and working conditions of the whole unit get decided. Go in knowing what it costs.

Want a straight answer about the workload? Ask someone who has served. The union contacts page lists current and past negotiators.

Under the SU Bylaws, the Negotiating Team seats three lead regional negotiators, one primary per regional chapter, plus an alternate for each region. An alternate carries the primary negotiator’s authority only when that primary is absent or resigns. Regional chapter chairs may not serve as primary negotiators.

Where a nomination is contested, the chapter elects by electronic ballot. The candidate with the most votes in a regional chapter becomes that region’s primary negotiator, and the runner-up becomes the alternate. Each candidate may submit one typed, single-page resume to circulate to members during the election.

Professional staff from APEA/AFT join the team at the table, bringing negotiation training and knowledge of state policies and procedures. The union contacts page lists the negotiators currently seated, and apea-aft.org/apea-staff lists staff assignments.

Under the SU Bylaws, the Negotiating Team has the authority and the obligation to:

• Survey members for input and guidance ahead of negotiations.
• Modify the contract proposal.
• Keep the SU Executive Board and employee representatives informed of negotiation progress.
• Communicate with members about negotiations.
• Reach a tentative agreement on a contract proposal.
• Provide members a copy of the tentative agreement.
• Give members the opportunity to ask questions about it.
• Conduct the ratification vote.
• Sign the collective bargaining agreement once the tentative agreement is ratified.

An ongoing and exclusive relationship between an employer and a union in which a written contract is negotiated, implemented, and enforced with regards to the wages, hours, terms and employment and conditions of work for employees represented by the union.

Negotiations are one part of collective bargaining, and collective bargaining is not the kind of negotiation the movies portray.

A commercial negotiation is a transaction. Two parties haggle over a deal, then sign it or walk away. Until they sign, they owe each other almost nothing. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, the obligation of good faith governs the performance and enforcement of a contract, not the bargaining that precedes it. A buyer and a seller may refuse to meet, decline to explain themselves, and walk away for any reason.

Collective bargaining is an ongoing and exclusive relationship, and the law treats it as one. Under the Alaska Public Employment Relations Act, the State and the union share a mutual obligation to meet at reasonable times and negotiate in good faith over wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment (AS 23.40.250). Neither side may simply walk away from the table. Good faith is measured across the whole course of bargaining rather than by any single proposal, and that cuts both ways. Conduct that looks defensible in isolation can still add up to bad-faith bargaining. A single move that looks indefensible at the time, and that may feel that way from outside the room, can sit comfortably inside a record of good-faith bargaining once the whole course of conduct is in view.

The Alaska Labor Relations Agency applied that standard in Alaska Community Colleges’ Federation of Teachers, Local 2404 v. University of Alaska, Decision and Order No. 191 (ALRA Sept. 26, 1995). The union charged the employer with bad-faith bargaining over contract proposals it argued were illegal. The Agency declined to treat any single proposal as a violation on its own. Judged on the totality of the circumstances, the record showed no “pattern of conduct” from which bad faith could be concluded, and proving a violation takes “evidence of an attitude inconsistent with reaching agreement.” Bargaining needs room for misunderstandings to be resolved and mistakes corrected before anyone is found in violation.

Good faith does not require either side to give in. The statute says plainly that the obligation does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or to make a concession. It requires both sides to genuinely engage.

A committed relationship is the closer analogy. We do not get to pick a different employer, the State does not get to pick a different representative for this unit, and both sides live with the result, and with each other, long after the contract is signed.

Collective bargaining also draws its strength from a different source. A commercial negotiator leans on leverage: alternatives, walk-away power, market position. Our strength comes from the collective will and unified action of the membership. A bargaining team carries exactly the weight members give it. That is why surveys, chapter meetings, and turnout shape the outcome. They are not side activities to the real negotiation. They are where its power comes from.

Collective bargaining typically occurs on a regular basis, such as every few years, depending on the terms of the existing agreement and any changes in employment conditions or laws. When the current contract expires, the process of renegotiation begins.

Collective bargaining provides numerous benefits, including fair wages and compensation, better working conditions, job security, health care benefits, retirement plans, and improved safety standards. It also ensures that workers have a stronger voice in their workplace.

No. Our members are State of Alaska public employees, so the Alaska Public Employment Relations Act governs, not the federal National Labor Relations Act that covers most private-sector workers. Under AS 23.40.250, the State carries a mutual obligation to meet at reasonable times and negotiate in good faith with the union that represents this unit. Refusing to bargain collectively in good faith with the exclusive representative of a unit is an unfair labor practice under AS 23.40.110(a)(5), and the union may take it to the Alaska Labor Relations Agency.

Refusing outright is rare. The harder question is usually whether conduct at the table amounts to bad-faith bargaining: running out the clock, shifting positions already settled, or bargaining with someone who lacks authority to agree. Because good faith is judged on the whole course of conduct, that determination rests on a pattern rather than a single session.

If the employer and union cannot reach a voluntary agreement, various options may be pursued, such as mediation, fact-finding, or arbitration. In some cases, if no agreement is reached, the union may call for a strike, or the employer may implement their last offer.

A collective bargaining agreement typically covers wages, hours of work, working conditions, benefits, job security, promotions, and disciplinary procedures. It also establishes grievance procedures to resolve disputes between management and employees.

The collective bargaining agreement is enforced through grievance procedures, arbitration, and legal action. If an employer violates the agreement, employees can file grievances to address any issues and seek resolution. The union will also monitor compliance with the agreement and advocate on behalf of its members.

Union members play a crucial role by supporting the bargaining process, attending meetings, providing input on proposals, and helping to build solidarity among workers. Their support is essential for securing a strong agreement that protects their rights and benefits.

The SU bargaining team is selected through a democratic process involving SU members. Members are nominated and then elected to serve on the team, which represents their interests in negotiations with the State.

The Employee Representative (ER) acts as a liaison between SU members and the negotiating team. They gather input from members, convey concerns to the bargaining team, and help ensure that member voices are heard during negotiations.

A mediator helps both parties reach a voluntary agreement by facilitating discussions. A mediator has no power to impose a decision. An arbitrator, on the other hand, makes a binding decision after hearing arguments from both sides, which resolves disputes when negotiations fail.

The duration of the collective bargaining process can vary, but it typically takes several months. This includes preparation, preliminary meetings, formal negotiations, and any potential mediation or arbitration proceedings.

SU members have the right to be represented by a bargaining team, voice their concerns, and participate in the democratic process of selecting representatives. Additionally, they have the right to be informed about the status and progress of negotiations.

SU cannot speak to how the State chooses its bargaining team. Just like SU decides how to choose the SU bargaining team, the State has its own process for choosing its team, how it approaches negotiations at the table and what proposal to put forward. The Chief Negotiator is considered the agent for the Governor and has authority to speak on behalf of the Administration.

There are two legal tools that could be triggered if SU and the State cannot reach an agreement. Mediation is where both sides select a mutually-agreeable mediator, though this can take several weeks. A mediation session is then scheduled, which can mean a delay of several months. If there is still not an agreement after this multi-month process then the next step is arbitration. Arbitration also requires both sides to mutually agree on an arbitrator, then an arbitration session is scheduled. Like mediation, this usually results in a delay of weeks to months to get to the arbitration session. The decision of the arbitrator is binding only on the union.

In any negotiations, the goal is to reach a mutual agreement as simply as possible, preferably at the bargaining table. Under state law, a strike can only happen after several stages of negotiations. First, negotiators reach an impasse. This means that both sides have moved as far as they can toward a compromise and cannot reach a tentative agreement. SU would next go to mediation. Mediation is not binding on either party and if an agreement is not reached through mediation, then the next step is arbitration. If no agreement is reached, then the State can impose its “last, best final offer.” After all of this, it is up to the membership to decide if SU were to strike by taking a strike authorization vote.

There is a lot you can do. Talk with your coworkers, come to chapter meetings, and answer the bargaining surveys. The team’s leverage at the table comes from knowing membership is behind it. To join the Contract Action Team or find other ways to help, contact your regional employee representative or chapter chair on the union contacts page.

Bargaining the contract is an ongoing process that involves more than just the time spent at the negotiating table. Member input through surveys, chapter meetings, and individual outreach helps shape the strategy the team uses for negotiations.

The current collective bargaining agreement runs through June 30, 2027. The cycle now underway produces its successor, the contract beginning July 1, 2027, which is why negotiator nominations are open.

Below is a general, condensed overview of each cycle, from electing member negotiators to reaching a tentative agreement:

1. The union surveys members for insight into their priorities and elects negotiators to the bargaining team (nominations August 2026; election, if needed, September 2026).
2. The bargaining team, together with APEA/AFT staff, researches and drafts proposed contract language.
3. The team begins meeting with the State’s team at agreed-upon times, dates, and locations.
4. Proposals and counter-proposals are exchanged and discussed.
5. When both sides agree on a particular topic, they tentatively agree (TA) to that article.
6. Once all open articles have reached a TA, the negotiators present the full tentative agreement to membership.
7. Only full members may vote on the tentative agreement. If you aren’t a full member yet, or aren’t sure, you can join or update your membership.
8. If members reject the full tentative agreement, the team returns to the negotiating table.