While the University of Alaska touts itself in TV ads as an institution that "keeps the best minds here in Alaska," some of those best minds tell a different story. "Faculty morale is low, and good professors are either leaving Alaska or choosing not to come because of the poor compensation," says Bob Congdon, president of the Alaska Community Colleges' Federation of Teachers.

The ACCFT and the university are in the midst of protracted contract negotiations where the key issue is raises. The university has offered 1 percent across-the-board salary increases for each of the next three years to cover inflation. This, despite raising tuition by 10 percent in each of the next two years based on an inflation rate of 3.6 percent.

The union has conducted a national analysis of faculty pay and found that most UA faculty within the bargaining unit are paid $2,000 to $10,000 less than the average for faculty in their field. "You don't keep these faculty by paying them 10 [percent] to 20 percent below national averages, particularly when the three least expensive Alaska cities--Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau--are in the top 10 most expensive places to live in America," says Barbara Harville, chief negotiator for ACCFT.

The ACCFT contract expires June 30. Because of the rocky history of the university in negotiating with the 28-year-old union, the last contract stipulates that negotiations will take place from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1, after which, lacking a settlement, the parties are at deadlock.

On Dec. 1, the union had to declare an impasse and called for a federal mediator.

At the same time, the university started airing the upbeat ads. One features a student raving about his "incredible professors." Footage of United Academics/AFT member Gary Cohn fills the screen as the student gushes; "My journalism professor--he won a Pulitzer for investigative reporting!" The ad ends with University of Alaska president Mark Hamilton urging "Keep the best minds here, at home. To guide Alaska, we need a strong, statewide university system." One of the local CBS affiliates was so tickled by the disparate images of the breaking news story and the ad campaign, it devoted several minutes to the story.   [Barbara McKenna / AFT On Campus]

[February 25, 2003]