It's Time to Vote. (and a recap of this week's townhall.)

It's Time to Vote. (and a recap of this week's townhall.)

March 20, 2026

The Latest: Voting in the CAUSE union election has opened. Be sure to cast your ballot.

• Employees eligible to vote in the union election received voting instructions and a unique PIN at their @alaska.edu email address on Wednesday, March 18.
• "From" address: Voter Info
• Subject Line: Voter Instructions and Notice of Election for CAUSE UA Representation Election
• If you didn’t receive the email, contact the Alaska Labor Relations Agency (ALRA) at 907-269-4895.

• A sample of the instructions is included below.

Voter instructions page 1
Voter instructions page 2

Still have questions? Visit alaska.edu/ua-votes, and click on the FAQ page to learn more. Can’t find an answer to your question?

• Reach out to UA Labor Relations ([email protected]), and we’ll get you an answer as soon as we can.

Catch Up Quick: More than 350(!) staff tuned in to or attended yesterday's listening session with President Pitney. If you missed it, you can watch the recording here. We received quite a few questions we weren't able to answer in that short hour, but over the next several days, we'll be updating the FAQs onlinewith answers to those questions. You can find those FAQs here.

• Why it Matters: Understanding the tradeoffs is important for staff who would be represented by CAUSE if the union is formed.

Understanding Impacts: We’ve received reports of confusion and misinformation regarding FY27 salary increases, in particular, so we’re continuing to ensure staff eligible to vote in the election have the facts.

The Details: If a staff union forms, the employment status of those staff changes from “nonrepresented” to “represented.”

• This matters because UA Policy (P04.05.010) and Alaska Law (Alaska Statutes 23.40.215(B)) require that “represented” employees’ unions negotiate their salary increases for them in a contract.

• If staff vote to form the CAUSE union, that vote would be certified after the deadline in state law for union contracts to be considered by the legislature.

• As a result, if a staff union is formed, staff represented by that union wouldn’t be able to receive the 3% across-the-board salary increase UA has requested to take effect July 1 of this year.

An Important Note: Nonrepresented staff, and UA employees represented by unions with contracts in place on July 1 will still be eligible to receive the requested across-the-board salary increase.

But what about "status quo"? If a staff union is formed, UA would be required to maintain the "status quo" or current working and employment conditions during negotiations.

• Some are asserting that to maintain the status quo, UA would be obligated to provide the 3% across-the-board increases if the union forms. That is incorrect.

State law and UA policy are quite clear:unions negotiate salary increases on behalf of the employees they represent in a contract, and the contract must be approved and funded by the legislature.

• Forming a staff union shifts employees' status from "nonrepresented" to "represented", and the status quo for represented employees requires salaries to be negotiated as a part of a contract and approved in line with state law.

• What Your Vote Means:

  Voting “No” means you wish to keep your direct relationship with UA without union representation.

  Voting “Yes” says the following 3 things that can't be separated: you want a union to represent you, you want UAW to be the exclusive union representative to bargain with UA on your behalf, and you will pay union dues unless your consent to do so is withheld or revoked in accordance with both union and legal requirements.

Not voting? The result will still affect you. The election will be decided by the majority of eligible employees who cast a vote. Your vote is your voice, and you have a say in the outcome.

Don’t let this decision be made for you. Take action. Vote.

Where can I get help or more information?Visit alaska.edu/cause or contact UA Labor Relations at [email protected].