AY2026 UA Staff Unionization Efforts

Election Basics

UA Votes Web Banner
Home
News & Updates
Election Basics
Understanding Staff Representation @ UA
FAQs

Ballots will be issued by March 18, 2026.Ballot Box

The University of Alaska respects employees’ rights to organize and is committed to ensuring this process is fair, thorough and informed. UA Votes exists to help employees understand the facts and participate fully in the election.

Union representation is a significant decision. This site explains the financial and workplace tradeoffs and how to vote.

Learn. Decide. Vote.

What Your Vote Means:

 

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

Cost of RepresentationVoting “Yes” means you want the UAW  to bargain with UA on your behalf and will pay union dues.

Not voting? The result will still affect you. The election will be decided by the majority of employees who 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. And we encourage you to vote NO.

What would change with union representation

If a union is certified:

  • All eligible employees would be represented by the union, including those who vote “no” or do not vote.
  • There would be one bargaining unit and one contract, with no individual exceptions.
  • Employment-related matters such as pay, benefits and workplace rules would be negotiated between the union and UA.
  • Many workplace issues would move from direct employee–manager conversations to more formal processes involving union representatives.

Union representation applies to everyone in the unit.

Understanding union dues and costs

Union representation involves ongoing costs. Based on other University of Alaska unions, estimated union dues range from about 1.1% to 1.44% of salary once a union is certified.

What do union dues look like in practice?

To help illustrate what that percentage could mean, here are example annual and per-pay-period dues amounts at different salary levels:

Annual Salary

Estimated Annual Dues

Estimated Biweekly Dues

$30,000

$330 – $432

$12.70 – $16.60

$60,000

$660 – $864

$25.40 – $33.20

$90,000

$990 – $1,296

$38.10 – $49.85

$130,000

$1,430 – $1,872

$55.00 – $72.00

 

Dues are deducted from pay and are separate from wages, benefits or any negotiated increases. A union cannot guarantee raises or financial outcomes.

It is important to note: union representation does not change the state’s long-term, constrained funding environment.

Voting: what to expect

The election period will be open March 18 - March 31, 2026.

Your vote is your voice, and the only way to have a say in the outcome. A simple majority (50% + 1 of votes cast) determines whether a union is formed.

To avoid missing your opportunity:

  • Monitor your work email, personal email, and physical mail.
  • Verify your mailing address early.
  • Watch for ballot instructions and deadlines.

Myth vs. Fact

Dispelling rumors and lofty promises with reality.

MYTH 
FACT
What this means for employees
If I don't want to be part of the union, I can opt out and not vote in the election. There is no option to opt out of union membership if your position is placed in the union. You are automatically included. Regardless of your stance, it is important to vote. Union formation is decided by a simple majority of the votes cast. If you're in the union, you're in whether you like it or not - which makes your participation in the election critical.
Non-union staff salaries are stagnant and falling behind those of unionized employees. Over the past 10 years, pay for non-union UA staff has kept pace with or exceeded that of unionized staff and faculty. With merit and other adjustments included during that period, compensation has increased by15%, and non-union staff pay has surpassed that of represented groups. Non-union staff have consistently received compensation increases that are at or above those of their unionized coworkers. 
Forming a union will guarantee us a raise. Unionization guarantees negotiations, not outcomes. Over the last decade, non-union and unionized employees saw nearly identical total pay increases, averaging around 2.3% per year.  In large bargaining units, contracts often lock in modest raises, slower progression, or benefit tradeoffs so employers can manage costs over time.

Moreover, the state's fiscal situation ultimately determines UA's compensation budget, not union status. Union representation cannot shield the university or its employees from the effects of state budget decisions.		 If you’re expecting automatic improvements, history shows that expectation is often wrong.
A union contract gives us security; everything will improve. A union contract adds rigidity and cannot guarantee results. While the current system allows UA to make targeted financial adjustments to preserve jobs and academic quality, a union contract could add procedures that complicate the university's ability to respond quickly to funding changes. Budget challenges reflect fiscal realities, not decisions related to unionization. Unionization guarantees more process, not outcomes.
The University's 'flexibility' is just a way to make unilateral changes. Flexibility supports fairness by allowing the university to respond quickly to staff needs, including merit increases, equity adjustments, and bonuses, without the delays of a multi-year contract. UA staff have benefitted from the flexibility that considers everyone's unique situation. Unionization means giving up individualized consideration in exchange for uniform rules that may not work in your favor.
The University is actively fighting against staff having a voice. Staff are vital to the UA System and essential to our mission. Staff Alliance and Staff Councils allow non-union staff to work directly with senior UA leaders on pay, benefits and workplace issues. Under unionization, the union would speak on staff’s behalf, as it does for Crafts and Trades (Local 6070) and Fairbanks Firefighters. Non-union staff currently engage directly with the Board of Regents and University leadership through shared governance. Unionized staff don't have that access. 
Unionization will mean employees have more of a say in decision-making. Unionization would create the largest bargaining unit at UA under a single, uniform contract that applies to everyone.  That means contract provisions like salary increases, benefits, work location expectations, and more apply to everyone at once, with few exceptions. Unionization doesn't necessarily equal negotiating leverage. It means your job, pay, and benefits get averaged with everyone else’s.
Unionization will create fairness for all employees. A single contract treats different jobs, skills and locations the same, meaning flexibility and adjustments based on performance, market conditions or specialized work are limited. Unionization doesn't mean fairness; it means "sameness".
Unionization can prevent layoffs or job losses. Unionization doesn’t change the fiscally restrained environment in which the state and the University already operate.

In a union environment, layoffs are often seniority-based, putting the most junior employees at risk if the financial environment becomes more restrained.   In the absence of a union, layoffs tend to be more merit-based.		 A contract doesn’t prevent tradeoffs. It formalizes them.
Union dues are temporary. Union members pay ongoing dues after certification. Based on other UA unions, dues are estimated at about 1.1% to 1.44% of an employee's salary. Union dues are a part of being in the bargaining unit.
Voting for a union just means having representation. Voting for a union establishes a long-term system with one bargaining unit and one contract. Once it is in place, employees are unable to opt out, even if the contract delivers less than promised. This is not a symbolic vote. It’s a binding decision with long-term consequences.

The Election Process:

  1. The bargaining unit must submit a petition to the Alaska Labor Relations Agency (ALRA), which will review it. This step is complete.
  2. If ALRA approves the petition, the union must then collect and submit signed authorization cards. This step is complete. 
  3. The ALRA will then decide 1) whether enough cards have been submitted, and 2) which employees will be allowed to vote in the election. This step is complete.
  4. An election is set, held, and administered by ALRA. While the ALRA will ultimately be responsible for the timing and scheduling of any election. The ALRA has set the election to occur on via electronic ballot from 9:00 AM on March 18 to 4:00 PM on March 31, 2026. 
    • In the election, a majority of the employees who cast a vote will decide whether the union will be recognized.
    • For example: if 1,000 employees are eligible to vote and only 100 actually cast ballots, a simple majority of 51 votes would determine the outcome for all 1,000 employees.
  5. Voting is an employee's best option for ensuring their voice is heard and given meaning.

What's UA's Bargaining Philosophy?

UA negotiates in good faith and works constructively with all of our bargaining units.

 

The Bargaining Process

If the proposed CAUSE union is successful in the election, it would become a newly formed bargaining unit, meaning there would be no existing contract at the outset. A first agreement would need to be negotiated and ratified before taking effect. Once finalized, that contract would apply to all employees across UA’s three universities - UAA, UAF, and UAS - and System Office employees who are included in the bargaining unit.

  1. Ground Rules Established
    • Before bargaining begins, UA and CAUSE will likely establish ground rules to govern the negotiation process. This typically includes rules for who is a part of each group’s negotiating team, whether negotiations are open or closed, and how proposals will be tracked throughout the negotiation process. 
  2. Negotiations Begin
    • Once a schedule is agreed to, negotiations begin. A union contract (or collective bargaining agreement, also called a CBA) typically governs the following areas listed below. The outcome of the negotiating process is not known yet, so it is impossible to predict what will end up in a final contract. 
  3. Strike Authorization
    • At times during the negotiation process, the union may ask its members to vote to authorize a strike. This does not necessarily reflect a breakdown in negotiations or mean a strike will occur.
  4. Tentative Agreement
    • A tentative agreement occurs when the two parties reach an agreement. If a tentative agreement is not reached by a mutually agreed-upon time, both sides can agree to an extension to continue bargaining.
      • Alaska Law requires monetary terms (i.e., compensation, benefits) for union contracts to be submitted to the Legislature and Department of Administration for consideration by the 60th day of the legislative session.
      • This generally means contracts must be at least "TA'd" (tentatively agreed to) pending steps 5 and 6 below before they can be submitted to the Legislature and the Department of Administration.
      • Based on past experiences, UA lacks the capacity and ability to implement "retroactive raises" (i.e., a contract is tentatively agreed upon after the 60th legislative day, with funds for the monetary terms requested and provided retroactively to employees). This means that if a contract isn't TA'd by the 60th Legislative day, the impacted bargaining unit will not receive an across-the-board increase for the following fiscal year that begins on July 1.
  5. Membership and Board of Regents Review
    • Once a tentative agreement is reached, the union presents the agreement to its eligible members for review and voting. Each eligible member is able to vote on the CBA.
    • The University of Alaska Board of Regents also reviews the tentative agreement.
  6. Ratification
    • After the handshake, the new CBA is ratified through a majority vote by eligible represented employees: 50% plus one of the votes cast must be yes.
    • The UA Board of Regents must also vote to approve the contract by a simple majority (at least 50% + 1 of the votes cast must be yes).
  7. New Contract
    • All agreements – the CBA, supplements and riders – must be ratified before any of them can be implemented.

It is important to note that under Alaska law and as agreed to by the Union, “supervisory” and “confidential” employees cannot be in the same bargaining unit as other employees.

  • Supervisory employees are defined by role, not title. They are those who have the power to make important decisions for their employer, including: hiring, transferring, or laying off employees; disciplining employees; or handling employee complaints and union grievances. 
  • Confidential employees are those who assist managers with labor relations issues and policies.
  • Part of the function of the upcoming December hearing will be to determine whether certain positions at the University are “supervisory” and/or “confidential” (a single position may be both), in order to determine if employees in those positions can be included in the proposed bargaining unit and be allowed to vote in the election. 

Resources for Reporters and Media Outlets

Contact University of Alaska Public Affairs

Journalists on deadlines can easily reach the Office of Public Affairs team by phone or email.

Contact: Jonathan Taylor, Director of Public Affairs

Phone: 1-907-786-1190

Email: jmtaylor9@alaska.edu