Rep. Zack Fields, co-chair of the Democrat-controlled House State Affairs Committee, blasted Gov. Michael Dunleavy’s “decision to replace Alaskans with outsiders on state-funded projects.”
The hardline Democrat’s denouncement came after the Dunleavy Administration said on Friday that the Alaska Hire provisions of state law is unconstitutional — in both the Alaska and the U.S. Constitution.
Fields tied the decision by the attorney general to politicization of his office and complained about the recall process being tied up in court and the AG’s opinion on the illegality of the State collecting dues on behalf of unions, also now in court. All in one press release.
Fields is the former communication director for the Alaska Democratic Party and former director for Local 341 Laborers, who now serves District 20, downtown Anchorage, after Rep. Les Gara retired from office.
The poster child for open hiring practices, Fields had been hired by the Alaska Democratic Party from out of state in 2013, and six years later is a House Representative. The Alaska Democratic Party has a habit of hiring its staff from out of state, including most recent executive director Jay Parmley.
“At a time when Alaskans face the highest unemployment in the nation, Mike Dunleavy is using a politically-charged legal opinion to put even more of our neighbors out of work,” Fields said in a statement posted by the House Majority Press Office at the request of Fields’ Chief of Staff Grace Kubitz.
In fact, Alaska has the highest unemployment rates in the nation, currently at 5.3 percent, but the regions vary greatly and the number of those working has improved this year.
Anchorage unemployment, the region that Fields represents, is 4.7 percent — a solid number, while the Kusilvak Census Area is 18.6 percent — a bad number, but one that represents a subsistence life in Western Alaska.
In a healthy economy, 5 percent is considered an acceptable level of unemployment because workers come and go and there’s a period of time between jobs for most workers.
Unemployment in the U.S. is now a worker’s market at 3.8 percent; in 2019 the United States has the lowest level unemployment in 50 years.
This guy seems like he’s just about as homegrown Alaskan as Hillary was from New York. I wonder if he did an opinion poll first like she did? He’s just the latest rat terrier yapper that the Democrats have come up with as their sounding board. I guess we need to fire his butt, so we can hire Alaska first into our government.
Wasn’t Fields hired from out of state, potentially taking a job away from an Alaskan?
Alaska has always been extremely oriented toward ‘seasonal’ and/or ‘area’ employment. The extremes in weather and year around accessibility ensure this in Alaska. Mostly, the only all season jobs (public employee) that make a living are ones paid for by the rest of the ‘part time’ employees/tax payers who make up a big majority of ‘rock and roll employment’ numbers designating the percentage of Alaskan employees on a yearly basis average. Trying to build a house in the winter will cost two or three times what summer construction costs. Only in an emergency, for most. Most any building done is forced by Alaskan weather to ‘get er done’ during the moderate to summer months. That includes tourism too. Big, big chunk of Alaskan unemployment in the oncoming ‘lean’ months ahead for most of us working the boom/bust Alaskan labor market. Full PFD’s would sure be nice for all us trying to make it for our families without year around public employee pay and benefits. The word “seasonal” in Alaska is an understatement for most.
This boy is one reason why you didn’t get your full PFD. I wrote Bryce edgmon countless letters pleading for him not to take the PFD money away from natives and other people like yourself who depend on the Pfd to get by but he would have none of it. All Ihe wanted to do is tell lies about Governor dunleavy and walk around like big Man on campus. He just doesn’t care.
Zac Fields is a duplicitous tool. Just another example of the sorry crop of legislators we have in Juneau.
Rep Fields sounds a bit of a hypocrite. It’s on for him to be hired from out of state but no one else? And of course he brought his leftist politics with him.
Old WC Fields is quacking like a duck again. Mouth piece for the Democrats and their corrupt labor boss cronies. WC is a transplant carpetbagger….another hypocrite who”s been outed.
He’s the best union money can buy.
Right. On the check-off dues, that the member abhors, forced on by the labor bosses, who control the members by dispatching through favoritism, while enjoying the biggest benefits offered to Union bosses from the Union’s treasuries. No need to get the US DOL involved to investigate internal problems. The DOL is comprised of Democrats and corrupt former Union bosses. The corruption is self-perpetuating.
The USDOL has no jurisdiction over most of the unions representing State employees and AKDOL has very little. The three marine unions and Local 71 either represent or are affiliated with unions that represent private sector employees so they come under the USDOL’s supervision. APEA is an AFT affiliate and AFT may represent some private sector employees and would thus be under USDOL supervision. The rest are public employee only and are not subject to USDOL supervision and the only jurisdiction AKDOL has is requiring them to register with the Commissioner of Labor and maintain some physical presence in Alaska, something that as far as I know AKDOL has never acted on.
Most “unions” representing public employees in Alaska aren’t unions at all as that term has legal meaning; they are merely State chartered non-profit corporations subject to such rules as their boards set for themselves.
Yeah I don’t give this five minutes of my time. A liberal, democrat that has only been doing this since 2013 and was brought in from out of state?? Now he is complaining about what our Governor is doing? Hypocrite… That’s all I have to say. Worthless hypocrite.
Rep. Fields sounds a bit of a hypocrite. It’s ok for him to be hired from out of state but not for anyone else? And of course he brought his leftist politics with him.
Fields is carpetbagger, just an example on how out-of-staters move to Alaska to enter into Alaska politics.
But this guy must have set a new record for the “Shortest Time in State to Become a Legislator.”
An oddball freak brought to us by those trusty Democraps to give Alaskans fair representation. Really.
Then the Democrats have the gall to attack Dan Sullivan. Recall Sam Cotten Going all in on bashing Sullivan in 2016. At least Sullivan married into an Alaska family and served in State Government.
Sam Cotten had a lot of personal problems when he served in Juneau. Anyone remember who he married?
I totally agree with you, Joe. And on top of everything you mention about Fields, Les Gara ENDORSED Zack (the carpetbagger) Fields over a long-time, experienced and knowledgeable Alaskan who ran against Fields in the primary. Outrageous!
I saw Fields at the east Anchorage Costco recently. He walked around the whole store talking loudly on his cell phone drawing attention to himself as some sort of “big shot.” When he finally stopped talking on his phone, I asked him a pertinent question in front of the refrigerated cheese area and Fields would not even look me in the eyes. He showed me that he is much too important to speak to Alaskans who don’t matter to him. Fields is some piece of work! The constituents in downtown Anchorage deserve much better than Fields; I hope they elect somebody much better the next time around. Who will be running??
Aren’t all politicians?
Zach you should worry about the end of your career by stealing our PFD. That is all.
Just when you think the Democrats can’t get any dumber…..
Comments above about “local” hire and the length of Alaskan residence should recall that Uncle Ted was at one time a newbie when he entered public service, Don Young was from California and Senator Sullivan biggest claim of being an Alaskan is that he married a girl from Fairbanks.
Folks that were born here prior to Statehood and can trace our “Alaskan”roots back several generations find it amusing when the years in Alaska litmus test is prompted. Point is a lot of good folks come here and bring good things to the table.
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