~The President of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka in Alaska protesting Remington’s illegal treatment of Anchorage workers  in August of 2010.

U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess’s 34-page injunction was issued late Friday. Among other items, it includes provisions requiring Remington Lodging and Hospitality to restore paid lunch breaks and employer-paid health care and reduce housekeepers’ daily quota of cleaned rooms.

Remington is the Texas-based operator of the Sheraton hotel in Anchorage. This injunction came over five months after a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Administrative Law Judge found in favor of the obvious – that the hotel had violated numerous federal labor laws, trying to squash its workers’ union, UNITE HERE Local 878.

What this means now, said AFL-CIO Alaska President Vince Beltrami at a press conference today,  is that the management of the Sheraton will now have to “admit they were wrong, and go back to when this all started, before they started breaking the law.”  The injunction will require the hotel to restore the terms and conditions of employment as they existed prior to the hotel’s unlawful declaration of impasse in union negotiations. This victory comes after almost three years of struggle by Sheraton workers to protect their benefits, their working conditions and their union from the illegal and unfair practices of Remington.

The victory also comes because of appointments to the NLRB last month, which increased the number of board members to the point where the previously crippled board could now make some actual decisions. Alaskan labor organizations who supported Lisa Murkowski (write-in R) over Scott McAdams (D) in the 2010 senate race must be used to that bitter taste in their mouths by now, so the latest pill to swallow shouldn’t really come as any surprise. The “free and unshackled” Lisa Murkowski, who now supposedly isn’t tied to Republican dictates and is no longer a toady of Mitch McConnell, is one of the 39 Republican senators who signed a letter opposing those appointments and vowing to join a lawsuit opposing them.

How’s that free and unshackled Lisa working out for you guys?

Yeah.

To date, there have been over 40 unfair labor practice charges against Sheraton management, 2o of which are still outstanding.  Remington has even filed two meritless lawsuits – one against the union and  one against the NLRB itself. The ongoing boycott of both the Sheraton and the Hilton will continue, as will the frequent picket lines and marches, and an overwhelming amount of support from the Anchorage community. We don’t like to see our residents, who do some of the hardest and most thankless work in the hospitality industry treated unjustly and illegally by some outside goons from Texas. No, we don’t.

Local 878 represents over 1,400 hospitality workers from all across the state of Alaska.

~One of the Sheraton’s illegally fired workers, who will be happy to begin negotiations again. Marvin Jones, President of Local 878 stands behind her.

~Pastor Glenn Peterson

Pastor Glenn Peterson from Central Lutheran Church spoke passionately today in favor of the workers and their rights. “Jesus,” he said, “is on the side of the workers. This is about greed, and the Lord of the church is against greed. It is one of the seven deadly sins, and we should all speak out against it.” He went on to say that if Remington was listening, he hoped that they would learn a lesson – “respect your workers.”

~Alaska AFL-CIO President Vince Beltrami addresses the media

We’ve had several occasions to bust our buttons here at The Mudflats over the last few years. Readers and those in the blogging and journalism communities have been kind to us with various honors and praise over the years.

But today is an especially proud one for us. Our very own Shannyn Moore is taking her radio program to the other coast! The Shannyn Moore Show will now broadcast its first hour live as it happens in our nation’s capital! The over-saturated right wing airwaves and the bloviators who inhabit them love to talk about how Shannyn has “12 listeners.” It’s become a running joke in the progressive community to talk about these faithful dozen as Shannyn has appeared on national TV, substituted hosted for national radio programs with more than a million listeners, gotten a column in the Anchorage Daily News, hosted her own television show which is now in its third season, and contributed her wit and wisdom right here at the Mudflats.

With her amazing talents and abilities, it was only a matter of time before she achieved the national nod she so deserves. Nobody keeps Shannyn in the upper-left corner.

Not only will she be able to share her unique take on national issues, she’ll also be able to bring critical Alaskan issues to the attention of a much wider (and occasionally more influential) audience. This is very good news, indeed.

What that means logistically in Alaska is that The Shannyn Moore Show has now changed time slots and can be heard live from 6-9pm on KOAN 1020am. Same station, new time. The other good news is that it’s now socially acceptable to listen to Shannyn while curled up with a fuzzy blanket, and a glass of wine. Your boss never has to know.

In the meantime, Shannyn’s old time slot will now be taken over by yet MORE right wing nutjobbery in the form of Dan Fagan. And he’s given his old one hour time slot from noon to 1pm on KFQD to… (wait for it)… The Party Planner! Yes, Mayor Dan Sullivan’s “party planner” will be live and taking your calls during “Alaska Live With Bernadette.” It would be so easy to continue snarking, but today belongs to someone else.

Congratulations, Shannyn. Nobody knows better than us here at The Mudflats how hard you have worked, and how much you deserve this honor. And just as we did when you first went on the air at KOAN, we’re dusting off the happiest radio clip we could find. Here to salute you and commemorate your live DC debut are the yip-yips and their classic homage to the radio. It just became a bigger and happier place for you, and for Alaska.

And the Hardiest Occupiers Award goes to….. Occupy Fairbanks! The Mudflats salutes you from the Anchorage Banana Belt.

More than a million signatures (that’s 3,000 pounds worth) were gathered and delivered today to ensure that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker would face a recall election later in the year. That’s what happens when you push policies that effectively eliminate most collective bargaining rights for many public employees. Just to play it safe organizers overshot the number of required signatures by about 460,000. There’s nothing like making an unambiguous statement.

Also targeted were Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and a handful of Republican legislators, all well-exceeding the number of signatures required to generate a recall election.

Kelly Steele, a strategist for We Are Wisconsin, the group that led Wisconsin’s Senate recalls, also hailed Tuesday’s news as a victory for all Wisconsinites.

“Scott Walker lied his way into office, and has since launched unprecedented attacks on Wisconsin’s working families, dividing the state like never before,” Steele said in an email. “This historic recall is a million-strong victory for Wisconsinites united to take their government back from wealthy special interests who bought and paid for Scott Walker and are dictating the terms of his extreme agenda.”

As painful as it may be, Alaskans are going to have to seriously consider relinquishing our claim to “Worst Governor Ever.”  We proudly withstood the assault of crazy narcissism from Rod Blagojevich, but Scott Walker may just be too formidable a foe.

In the meantime, Walker may just want to think about how he can push Wisconsin’s agenda forward and advocate outside the system. Remember Scott, you don’t need a title to make a difference.

For me, this pretty much sums it up. I never thought I’d be on the side of the one dousing the elderly with pepper spray, but… Go 2012!

Wishing you all more love, directed energy, optimism, good work, health, and happiness for the new year.

Happy Solstice to all! It’s that wonderful time (especially in the far north) when the Earth decides to tip back into the summer direction, and the amount of darkeness gets less, and the light gets longer. It will only be a second or two a day at first, but as the weeks roll on, it will turn to minutes at a time in its frenzied journey to long summer days.

I love the Solstice, and try to make time to appreciate it in some way. It’s almost a shame it comes surrounded by all the rest of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. It can tend to get lost in there. This year it was decorating the tree, listening to beautiful music, drinking yummy drinks, and feeling grateful to have made it through a difficult year. A new tipping of the axis has come, with new possibilities, new hopes, and new strength. This is one of those holidays that exists objectively, whether we want it or not. Every culture marked it, and every human has noticed it since the beginning of time. And nobody will change it to Monday so we get a long weekend, or combine it with another event and call it “Celestial Day.” It is what it is – simple, scientific, magical and beautiful.

The Sun, which has been conspicuously absent the last week or so, rose (literally) to the occasion today with a beautiful sunrise, and equally lovely sunset. A grand entrance and finale, worthy of celebration in itself.

But if noting the turning of the seasons, and basking in their resplendent symbolic glory isn’t enough for you… and if you’d rather mark this most notable of days by celebrating your Constitutional rights, and challenging the grinchy government interventionist mayor, who says that he can tell you when you can and cannot sit on the sidewalk, then have I got the thing for you.

Join the group of protesters who are ready to do the unthinkable, the untenable… They shall defy big gubmint, and those who have grown too large for their mayoral britches, and they shall SIT. That’s right. They’re going to sit – right in front of City Hall. They shall dare to park their backsides on the cement surrounding the Ivory Tower.  They are a mighty lot. To join this noble crowd, dress warmly, bring a thermos, and prepare to sit for liberty.

Where: Right in front of City Hall on 6th and G Streets

When: Lunchtime, any time 11am-1pm  [Note that there will be some hearty souls there at 6am when sitting officially becomes illegal]

Rep. Les Gara is well-known to Mudflatters, and is one of our favorite legislators. There are many reasons for that, but his ginormous heart, and desire to help kids in foster care succeed are a couple reasons.

This year he is launching the second annual Laptops for Foster Youth Holiday Drive. Over the past year this drive has resulted in over 60 matches for youth who use laptops for school, to transport pictures of their families and friends, and to lead a life that more closely resembles those of their peers outside of foster care.

“We hope the holiday spirit will cause generous Alaskans to keep this success going into a second year,” said Rep. Gara, whose office started this effort with foster youth advocate Amanda Metivier last December.

While many of us are spending time with our families, celebrating traditions, and enjoying the festivities, foster youth are faced with the bitter reminder that they are separated from their families during the holidays. Foster youth are highly mobile, some changing placements dozens of times while in care and often in the middle of the school term. As difficult as transitions are, it becomes even more difficult to maintain relationships when youth are limited by what they are able to lug from one home to the next, which frequently happens.

“We need to do whatever we can to support these youth, and donating a laptop is a great way to make a difference in a life, in academic achievement, and in a child’s often harmed social life,” said Rep. Gara, whose father was killed when Gara was 6, resulting in his placement in the foster care system. “Even if separated from loved ones, with a laptop of their own, they can keep those connections alive.”

Collaboration between Rep. Gara and the non-profit Facing Foster Care in Alaska has yielded more than 60 computers that have been matched with youth over the past year. “Youth who have been matched with a laptop are performing better in their education and have a link to their family and friends as they make multiple transitions,” said Amanda Metivier, Statewide Coordinator of Facing Foster Care in Alaska. Metivier is also a foster care alumnus, and has worked with the state, and Rep. Gara’s Office, to help improve Alaska’s foster care system.

“Having a laptop has helped me with school and staying in touch with my friends,” said Anna Redmon, age 16, about the laptop she received through the program.

If you have a late model or new laptop you want to donate that:

1. is not more than four years old

2. has a word processing program

3. has internet capability, and

4. works well,

Please call Rep. Gara’s office at (907) 269-0106. There are also other ways to help if you have time, but no computer to donate.

If you want to mentor a youth leaving foster care, call Facing Foster Care in Alaska Statewide Coordinator Amanda Metivier at (907) 230-8237 to learn more.

Want to be a foster parent? There’s a dire shortage: call the Alaska Center for Resource Families at (800) 478-7307 to find out how to become one.

Yesterday, Senate President Gary Stevens (R) spoke to Commonwealth North at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage about a variety of issues facing the Legislature in its upcoming Session, including HB 110 (also known as Governor Captain Zero’s oil tax plan). Below, you will find a copy of his prepared remarks. Senators Kevin Meyer (R), Hollis French (D), Bill Wielechowski (D), Bettye Davis (D), and Linda Menard (R) were also in attendance for the organization’s annual Legislative Meet & Greet.

Kudos to Gary Stevens for putting Alaska first. He nails this from beginning to end, and calls the Chamber of Commerce’s “grading system” out for the farce that it is.  One observer described the reaction from the crowd as “stunned silence.”

The Mudflats has not awarded one of these as of late, but bestows upon Gary Stevens, the coveted Golden Spine Award.

To listen to Senator Stevens’ Speech, click here.

Senator Stevens’ Prepared Remarks

Thank you for inviting me to speak. Frankly, you’ve got a lot of nerve. I stand before you as the recipient of an “F” from the Alaska Chamber of Commerce and the Resource Development Council. Legislators were given grades by these organizations, apparently based on our support or lack of it for the Governor’s Oil Tax Bill, HB 110. So, the biggest issue facing the legislature this year is STATE OIL TAXES. Big surprise, right? This has been the biggest issue for many years running.

All Representatives who got A’s voted for the Governors oil tax bill, while those of us who got D’s and F’s either voted against it in the House, or like myself, dared to question it in the Senate. Former Governor Jay Hammond was a constituent of mine for several years after he left office. Hammond, liked to quote Article 8, Section 2 of the Alaska Constitution:

The legislature shall provide for the utilization, development, and conservation of all natural resources belonging to the state, including land and waters, for the maximum benefit of its people.

That’s people, not businesses or corporations, but the people of Alaska – You.

It’s a very unusual constitution in this regard. Now, you should know, I love the oil industry. I want to see more oil flowing through the pipeline. Oil provides jobs to Alaskans as well as lots of jobs to outsiders. But it is our oil, and Prudhoe Bay belongs to us. It is true oil pays the bills here in Alaska. Some 90% of our annual revenue comes from oil taxes. So, we like you, we respect you, and we need you. We want you to be profitable.

So let’s not forget the constitution or Jay Hammond. But, to be fair, let’s not forget the abuses we have suffered at the hands of the oil industry.

Remember Edmund Burke’s famous quotation – “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” I don’t want to dwell on those abuses but I would ask you to remember just 3 events in our historic relations with the industry, so we won’t repeat them. Surprisingly enough, so many Alaskans don’t know or remember these events:

1. Remember Amarada Hess, when the industry was found guilty of falsification and depriving the state of nearly 1 billion dollars

2. Remember the Exxon Valdez, when the industry despoiled our environment from which it has not fully recovered even today

3. Remember Bill Allen, when some of our elected politicians were bribed and sent to prison

Those 3 events are not the only abuses we have experienced. These are just the 3 I’d like you to remember.

Alaska v. Amarada Hess was a court case which found that from 1977 to 1992 companies were guilty of “deliberate falsification in computing the price paid to Alaska for its royalty oil.” It ended with the judge saying that we, the state, were guilty of “inexcusable trustfulness” in dealing with the oil companies.

You did get that, didn’t you? : The judge said we trusted the oil companies too much. That we were guilty of inexcusable trustfulness, WOW. I think you can get into heaven for that.

The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill was a disaster I well remember. With enormous damage to Prince William Sound, the Alaska Oil Spill Commission said Alaskans were abused in Exxon’s approach towards risk management, saying the company showed “a corporate culture of irresponsibility” and was unwilling to jeopardize profit when it came to safety and risk mitigation.

I was elected to the legislature in 2000 and was surprised to see Bill Allen and Veco employees so often in the halls and offices of the capitol. As we now know, some of our elected public officials were bribed yet still voted on oil tax bills, and even went to prison for their actions.

So, that’s all in the past. You may say things have improved greatly and I want to believe that.

Still, the wise person learns from history and remembers our past. We don’t want to be accused again of inexcusable trustfulness. We don’t want anyone to think that a culture of irresponsibility is OK, and we don’t ever want to see our elected politicians bribed. To maximize benefits to the industry and to the people – What’s good for the industry may not be good for you.

So, let’s get back to our current situation and the bill introduced by the Governor. It is HB 110 and readily, if barely, passed the House and was sent on to the Senate. It gives away billions of dollars in taxes to the oil industry. Upwards of $9 to $10 billion of your money with very little in return to Alaska.

We have been asking the Administration for months to give us some proof this will do Alaska some good. We asked them to make their case. Give us reasons to vote for it. Show us the proof that we get something out of giving up billions. What does it mean at various oil prices? We have yet to receive that information. And I hope it will be forthcoming before our session begins in January.

Jay Hammond was asked how he would tax the oil companies and he said, “For every cent we could possible get.” Sometimes, even I think Governor Hammond may have gotten a little carried away. I think what he meant was that Alaskans need to get their fair share. He knew the job of the oil company CEOs was to maximize benefits for their shareholders, and they have done that. They have made enormous profits. And I don’t question that they should make enormous profits. They have done well for themselves and for us. But Hammond saw his job, as Governor of Alaska, to do the same for his shareholders – to maximize benefits for you – to make sure Alaska got its fair share.

So, the Senate still has the Governor’s bill, HB 110. Right now, it is in Senate Labor and Commerce Committee. They are studying the issue of jobs. We all know how important this is to Alaskans. We have been told, if we pass HB 110, that more Alaskans will be hired on the North Slope. But as the committee has done its work, they have found we have nearly as many jobs now as we have ever had and they found that the lion’s share of new jobs have gone to outsiders, not to Alaskans.
The normal course for HB 110 would be to go to Senate Resources, to Senate Finance, then to the Senate Floor. Many Senators have concerns about the bill – real and important questions. I suspect if it does make it out of the Senate, it will only be with major changes. A big issue is that of progressivity, which is the tax we charge when oil reaches high levels of value. This I think is something that could be done and might give the oil companies the relief they seek. Also we will be discussing heavy oil. My priority is and will remain to provide for the maximum benefit to the people of Alaska

It is quite telling that Pedro Van Meurs, an international oil consultant, in his presentation here in Anchorage earlier this month implied that Alaska tax rates are not particularly out of line with other regions and suggested that there may be no need to make significant changes in Alaska’s oil tax program. He did not recommend approval of the Governor’s HB 110. This is the best evidence yet that the Senate was right. Let me say that again, Pedro Van Meurs comments are the best evidence yet that the Senate was right.

The past session and this interim have been most contentious. The Senate did not rush to pass the Governor’s oil tax give away bill. We were called a “do nothing” senate because we would not be rushed into a precipitous decision that could cost the state billions with little in return.

In conclusion – Have I mentioned the State Chamber of Commerce and the Resource Development Council? I think I did. As you know they gave those of us who dared question the Governor’s oil tax bill failing grades. They gave D’s and F’s to just about every Representative who voted on the House floor against the bill. Realize the vote was 22 to 16, so that’s hardly a landslide. They also gave failing grades to all the Senators who dared ask questions about the bill.

Many of those representatives and senators are right here in this room, right now. Look around you and maybe you will see members with giant letters on their chests. It’s right there if you can’t see it. Sort of like a target. A Giant Scarlet Letter. Though I prefer to think of it as a Red Badge of Courage.

Anyway, thank you for inviting me.

Graduation coaches, summer school, school secretaries, and a host of others were on the chopping block.  Fortunately, most of the budget was able to remain intact, including the graduation coaches. And that has turned out to be a very good thing, indeed.

Just five years ago, Anchorage’s high school graduation rate was staggeringly low. Superintendent of Schools, Carol Comeau noted “Now, more than ever, our young people are leaving school with a high school diploma. Our graduation rate is near 72 percent, up from 62 percent just five years ago. We still have a long way to go but our efforts are working, and this is good reason to celebrate.”
Part of this success is due to the fact that in 2008, the Anchorage School District hired Graduation Support Coordinators, or “graduation coaches”, to help increase graduations and reduce the dropout rate. Last year, the Anchorage Council of Education/AFT Local 4425 (ACE) received a prestigious American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Innovation Fund grant to partner with the Anchorage School District in supporting graduation coaches as essential support staff positions in high schools. 

So, what exactly is a graduation coach?  “Sounds like some namby-pamby librul made-up nonsense job,” you can almost hear the budget cutters say.  “Back in my day, kids had boot straps they could pull themselves up by!”  Well, here’s what they do, and why they are so important. Graduation coaches work with only the most at-risk students. They become part of a student’s life, and learn about what’s going on at home, creating strategies to help the student succeed. They work closely with students, school faculty and parents to achieve this goal. They care, they follow-up on a daily basis, and they let students know that they care about their success.

At the Anchorage School Board meeting last night, testimony was given in support of graduation coaches. 750 at-risk kids are supported by the program, and last year, 148 graduates were directly linked to the services provided by their graduation coaches. The number this year is anticipated to be much higher.

ACE showed the following video to board members and those in attendance. I’m warning you now – get a hanky. I’ve seen this video several times now, and it gets me every time.  It tells the story beautifully, and I defy anyone who watches it to call the amazing people who do this work unnecessary.

The video received a lump-in-the-throat ovation from the audience and the school board. Board members seemed universally impressed, and Jeannie Mackey was the first to speak, “Thank you for bringing faces to this. That was amazing.”

Graduation coach Eric Spade, who is featured in the video, gave testimony last night. “Personally, I would like to see the program expanded, and I think all the other graduation coaches would agree with me. It’s always a funding issue, but everybody has consistently agreed that you need to start intervention early.”

~Board members and the audience watch the graduation coach video

Superintendent Comeau was moved. “You should be so proud of the work you are doing. The video is amazing. Thank you on behalf of the district. When people criticize us for adding extra positions because enrollment is flat, these folks are a good example of how that makes a difference. This video will be played more than a few times.”

Even if your heart is a giant lump of ice, and all you care about is the bottom line, remember that students who graduate are less likely to commit crime, more likely to go to college, and more likely to find a good job. They are more likely to become productive members of society who pay taxes, rather than being a societal burden.  And their children are more likely to graduate too. Each year’s class of dropouts will cost the United States over $200 billion during their lifetimes in lost earnings and unrealized tax revenue.

Supporting  kids and giving them their best shot at success is the true meaning of “No Child Left Behind.”  So, the next time the budget cutters rear their red pens, remember the teachers, the support staff, and the graduation coaches who are out there every day working hard for our kids and growing the next crop of community leaders. They do make a difference – every day.

Anti-truancy, pro-graduation “union thugs” Corinne McVee & Stephen Brown of ACE

Yesterday, I was on the Shannyn Moore Show (1020koan.com) for my weekly segment, Thursdays in the Mud. I’d just come from the press conference held by the One Anchorage campaign which will put basic equal rights for the LGBT community on this spring’s Municipal ballot. It proposes the radical notion that gay and transgendered people should not face legal discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, education and the use of public facilities.

During the show, a perennial homophobic caller decided to voice his opinion about “homo encounter relations” and went on a rant about the unnatural nature of gay marriage, or any kind of non-heterosexual relationships. Shannyn explained that the issues on the ballot had nothing to do with gay marriage, to which he responded, “it’s the same thing.”

Speaking to the “unnatural” argument, I signaled to Shannyn. I wasn’t on the air yet, so I gestured to her, bending my elbows, flapping and mouthing, “What about the penguins?” She remembered a previous conversation we’d had on the subject, and informed the caller that individuals in many species in the animal kingdom, including humans, are gay – penguins being a notable non-human example.

On the break we joked as we wondered how they could really tell the difference anyway, since they were all in tuxedos.

Then this story crossed my radar today. It would likely throw our caller and those who believe as he does into a tailspin. It seems that one of the gay penguin couples – Adam and Steve – at the China Zoo, are raising a baby!

They were once given the cold shoulder at the wildlife park in China for stealing heterosexual couples’ eggs to nest as their own.

But after being allowed to try out with eggs rejected by their mothers the couple have become the zoo’s best penguin parents.

Now keepers at Polarland Zoo in Harbin, north east China, have rewarded their devotion with a wedding day.

One wore a tie and the other was dressed in a red blouse – a traditional Chinese bridal colour – as they stepped into their icy wedding room to the music of the Wedding March.

Keepers then served them their favourite dish for the occasion – spring fish.

“They have been a good couple and deserved their reward,” said one keeper.

This isn’t the first example of excellent parenting skills from gay penguin couples. The Central Park Zoo in New York City has a penguin couple named Roy and Silo who were given a chick (Tango) to raise as their own. A best-selling children’s book was even written about it.

So, here’s to loving couples, equality, and great parents of all stripes.

[Adam and Steve's wedding photos can be found at the second link above]