Juneau -- Friday, both the Alaska House and Senate passed a bill that would ensure the Legislature has sufficient time to review all collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) negotiated with state employee unions. Senate Bill 269, sponsored by Senator Drue Pearce, (R-Anchorage), would require that the final contracts reached between the state and state employee unions be submitted to the Legislature no later than the 60th day of the legislative session to receive consideration that calendar year.

"Often the Legislature does not receive the detailed terms of CBAs until the final days of the session," said Senator Pearce. "It is a challenge to make reasoned decisions involving complex contractual terms in a short period of time. SB 269 would alleviate this problem by requiring the terms of a CBA to be submitted by the 60th day of the Legislative session."

SB 269 also conforms existing statutes to a 1999 decision by the Alaska Supreme Court. The Court ruled that if the Legislature does not fund the monetary terms of a CBA, none of the provisions take effect. The bill does give the Legislature the discretion to review changes to a previously rejected CBA for consideration in the calendar year under which that agreement was negotiated if the original agreement was filed on time.

The House amended the bill to allow the new terms of CBAs renegotiated after the 60th day to be considered under the current calendar year if the original tentative agreement was submitted on time. In order to qualify as a tentative agreement, the contract would have to have been approved by both parties involved, but may have not yet been ratified by members of the bargaining unit.

SB 269 was passed by the House Friday morning, and returned to the Senate for approval of the added amendment. SB 269 now goes to the Governor for signature.

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