Union allies firm up plans for pension fight

Labor Coalition moves forward on strategy to return Alaska's

public employee to a defined benefit pension system

More than a year and a half of hard work came together in early December.  That’s when representatives from eight unions coalesced around a unified strategy to restore secure pensions for school employees and others from the public sector.  Together, the allies represent more than 70,000 working families throughout Alaska.

Providing assistance and support for Alaska’s organizing efforts were the National Public Pension Coalition (NPPC), along with colleagues in other states that have fought the pension wars.  NPPC’s core message: Defined-benefit plans are stable and dependable, and defined-contribution plans are risky and costly. 

National Public Pension Coalition President Gerri Madrid-Davis

NPPC Executive Director Gerri Madrid-Davis traveled to Alaska.  She was accompanied by Sacramento political consultant Steve Smith and public relations pro Michael Perri.  Perri played a central role in campaigns to defend defined benefit pension systems in California, Colorado, and Kentucky.

NEA-Alaska spearheaded the outreach to national partners and organized the historic, two-day planning session.  Labor Coalition partners who participated were:

• Alaska State Employees Association/American Federation of

•  State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 52 (ASEA/AFSCME)

• Alaska Public Employees Association/American Federation of Teachers (APEA/AFT)

• AFL-CIO

• Public Safety Employees Association (PSEA)

• Anchorage Police Department Employees Association (APDEA)

• Anchorage Fire Fighters Union, Local 1264

• Teamsters, Local 959

Participants heard first from David Haney, executive director of the West Virginia Education Association (WVEA).  Through legislative action last year, West Virginia’s teachers returned to a defined benefit pension system after disastrous experience in a defined contribution plan. 

In Colorado, the fight focused on retaining a generous, mature defined benefit system that was under attack by a conservative governor and legislature.  Colorado EA lobbyist Dan Daly briefed Alaskans on their state’s successful campaign.  He emphasized the critical importance of forming a state coalition such as Alaska’s Labor Coalition: 

“It has to be a group effort.  Otherwise, your enemies with use the divide-and-conquer strategy and pick you off group by group.  Through a coalition you will multiply your political power many times over.  You’ll need to share information and pool your resources to conducting polling/focus group research.  That way, the campaign will achieve a unified, consistent message.”

Legislative strategists:  ASEA/AFSCME's Fate Putman, right; APEA/AFT's Peggy Wilcox; NEA-Alaska's John Alcantra; Teamsters Local 959's Barbara Huff Tuckness

Alaska’s Labor Coalition is moving forward quickly.  Meanwhile, APEA/AFT Political Organizer Peggy Wilcox and NEA-Alaska Government Relations Director John Alcantra “double teamed” key legislators when they made appointments and visited lawmakers together. 

AFL-CIO President Vince Beltrami, left, and APEA/AFT  Business Manager Bruce Ludwig

ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Business Manager Jim Duncan, left, and Larry Weiss, executive director of the Alaska Center for Public Policy

NEA-Alaska Lydia Garcia with Anchorage Fire Fighters Union Local 1264's Jeff Briggs and APEA/AFT President Bruce Senkow