Ballot Measures:

Ballot Measure One: Vote YES!

For Ballot Measure One, we recommend a YES vote. This ballot measure will raise the minimum wage to $15/hr (by 2027), mandate paid sick leave, and ban captive audience meetings (i.e. your employer will not be able to force you to attend meetings about politics or religion). This measure improves working conditions for workers across Alaska.

Ballot Measure Two: Vote NO!

For Ballot Measure Two, we recommend a NO vote. This ballot measure will repeal ranked choice voting and open primaries. Both ranked choice voting and open primaries empower voters to vote for the candidates that best match their views without needing to worry about potentially throwing away their vote. In addition, the new system enables more moderate candidates and encourages bipartisanship.

US Congress:

Mary Peltola for Alaska’s At-Large House Congressional District

Since her election as a US Representative, Mary Peltola has been an outspoken voice for worker’s rights, healthy fisheries, and personal freedoms and rights. Peltola has worked to protect labor rights and expand regulation of fisheries to ensure a healthy future for Alaska. Peltola has also worked on funding for sustainable development and power grid adaptation. If re-elected, she hopes to continue working on federal labor law, help enshrine reproductive rights in law, and help fill education funding gaps. 

Alaska State Senate Districts (Fairbanks):

Savannah Fletcher for Senate District P

After serving as a progressive voice for education and labor on the FNSB Assembly, Fletcher is running for the recently vacated Senate seat for District P. Fletcher will bring demonstrated commitment to listening to constituents, and a background in civil rights law to her legislative work. Her demonstrated track record building non-partisan coalition to address constituent concerns includes work on the Fairbanks Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. During the last few weeks of contract negotiations, Fletcher showed up to one of our actions and helped connect leadership with local unions.  

Scott Kawsaki for Senate District R

We are extremely excited to endorse Senator Kawasaki for re-election for Senate District R. Senator Kawasaki played a critical role last semester in getting our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) passed through the legislature and securing funding for UAF’s pursuit of R1 status. He is a longtime champion of labor, education, reproductive rights, and critical to keeping AK’s Bipartisan Senate Majority intact.

Alaska State House Districts (Fairbanks):

Maxine Dibert for House District 31

Maxine Dibert is an incumbent with a career as a public teacher in Fairbanks before she worked in the legislature. Public sector unions in Alaska are subject to very specific rules, which Dibert is familiar with as a former teacher. Dibert’s couples her commitment to education with an understanding that we need better long term funding in the state, and has worked on bills to help develop and support in-state post secondary education. She has committed to taking on corporate interests and the removal of wealth from the state without fair taxation or support of Alaskan infrastructure and well-being.  

Joy Beth Cottle for House District 34

Joy Beth Cottle is a career firefighter with a passion for labor organization, and a commitment to improving the lives of everyday residents of the interior. As a trained first responder, Cottle highly values the availability of medical care to all, including reproductive rights. As a public sector union member for over 20 years, Cottle plans to fight for better statutes for public sector unions, and has expressed strong support for both our union and further organizing in the interior. Cottle has also emphasized the importance of maintaining and improving infrastructure, including ease of access to water. 

Ashley Carrick for House District 35

As a veteran representative, Carrick pairs her experience in legislature with a drive to see positive change in Alaska, resulting in substantive and specific budget and infrastructure goals. Carrick’s knowledge of the budgetary structure of our state will enable her to fight for realistic, sustainable funding for critical infrastructure and education. Carrick also prizes civil rights, and has fought especially strongly for the LGBTQ+ community and reproductive rights, including filibustering and sponsoring bills.   

Brandon Kowalski for House District 36

As a former graduate worker in the Biology Department, Kowalski knows what it is like to try to get by in Fairbanks on a graduate stipend. He supported our unionization as a graduate worker and if elected will fight for labor and education in the Alaska State House. As a trained scientist, he’ll be equipped to tackle important Alaska issues such as subsistence, environmental protections, and energy.

Alaska State House Districts (Anchorage)*:

Ky Holland for House District 9

Andy Josephson for House District 13

Cliff Groh for House District 18

*We did not evaluate a majority of races in Anchorage. We recommend checking out the Alaska AFL-CIO’s list of endorsed candidates for other races in Anchorage (and across the state).