(Editor’s note: Check back; this story will be updated)
The membership of the Inland Boatmen’s Union has ratified the deal its team of out-of-state negotiators made with the State of Alaska, which means the illegal strike has ended, Must Read Alaska has learned.
A group of five labor negotiators from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union arrived in Alaska late last week and brought the matter to a quick resolution with the State. The IBU is the ILWU’s Marine Division.
Workers in the IBU will not receive any pay increases in 2019, because the Legislature has already completed its work in funding the collective bargaining agreements, according to what sources told MRAK today.
Instead, IBU members will get a 1.5 percent raise in 2020 and another 1.5 percent raise in 2021.
The union had asked for 9 percent over three years.
The IBU also relented on demands that it dictate the schedules of workers. In addition, members will be starting to pay some of the cost of their own health insurance by the third year of the contract.
The State relented too. It gave in on the demand that on one of the ferries, workers should be able to drink coffee without paying for it.
For the IBU membership, the strike means they not only lost nine days of wages, but their union is also still subject to a lawsuit by the State if it wishes to collect the more than $3.2 million in ferry fares that had to be returned to travelers.
The ferries will resume service according to the following schedule:
- MV Columbia Will begin with a Ketchikan-Bellingham run at 3:00pm on Wednesday, August 7th.
- MV Malaspina Will begin with a Juneau-Petersburg run at 5:45pm on Sunday, August 4th.
- MV Aurora Will begin with a revised schedule of Valdez-Whittier-Cordova run at 7:30am on Sunday, August 4th.
- MV LeConte Will begin with a Juneau-Gustavus-Pelican-Gustavus-Juneau run at 7:00am on Sunday, August 4th.
- MV Tazlina Will begin with a revised schedule of Juneau-Haines-Juneau run at 7:00am on Sunday, August 4th.
- MV Lituya Will begin with a Ketchikan-Annette Bay run at 10:45am on Sunday, August 4th.
- MV Kennicott: Will begin with a Ketchikan- Bellingham run at 3:00pm on Thursday, August 8th.
- MV Tustumena: Will begin with a Kodiak-Homer run at 10:15pm on Wednesday, August 7th.
The schedule takes into consideration that ships were tied up immediately upon getting to port after the strike was called, so will be departing from that port, and the Alaska Marine Highway system must get crews to those ports and get the provisions on the ferries, complete inspections, and prepare for guests.
The Reservations Call Center is open Monday-Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am – 2:00pm. To inquire about your refund, please call 1-800-642-0066. Due to the high volume of calls, it may take time to connect with a customer service representative, the Marine Highway System is advising.
