On August 24, 2010, the university and ASEA participated in an audio conference with the Alaska Labor Relations Agency (ALRA) to discuss the upcoming representation election process and dates. The parties were not able to reach agreement on dates for the election. The university believes the ALRA should keep the election schedule on the original proposed schedule, rather than further delaying the balloting process into the future. The union sought to delay the election, and raised concerns about the university’s designation of the confidential and/or supervisory status of some employees. The union produced a list of over 300 members of the university staff that it feels should not be allowed to vote in the upcoming election.� The university responded that it is willing to look once again at its designation of individuals, but contended that the employee roster provided thus far is accurate. In the absence of an agreement between the parties, the Agency announced that it will decide the date for the election. The ALRA is expected to inform the parties of the dates for the election in the very near future.

A union election information brochure featuring FAQs, dues information and 1998 election results was created by Statewide HR and Public Affairs. A mixup at the mailing service delayed the distribution of the piece, but the paper version will be arriving in the mailboxes of employees in the proposed unit soon. Hard copies are posted on bulletin boards. A PDF can be downloaded HERE.

The training calendar is posted at www.alaska.edu/hrtraining and includes the following upcoming webinars:

• Aug. 25 @ 11:00 am -� Becoming a Team Player
• Sept. 1 @ 11:00 am - Stress:� A Way of Life or a Fact of Life
• Sept. 15 @ 11:00 am - Enhancing Personal Safety
• Oct.13 @ 11:00 am� - Enhancing Your Job Performance

The webinars are generally 45 minutes in length and are open to University of Alaska employees system wide. There are no fees to attend a ComPsych webinar although supervisory approval is needed if the webinar takes place during the employee’s work hours. Employees may join these webinars from any computer and telephone.� A toll-free number is needed to join the audio portion of the webinar. �

To register, simply select the desired training event on the training calendar and enter your name, email address, telephone number and click “submit.”� Registered participants will receive a reminder email and the webinar handouts 24-48 hours prior to the webinar. �

If you have any questions, please contact Anne Sakumoto at (907) 786-1432 or assakumoto@alaska.edu

University of Alaska employees have access to online books, called Books24x7�. These resources are available through UA’s employee e-learning program with SkillSoft Corporation.� After logging into the SkillSoft program, users may search for a book in various ways, including by title, keyword(s), author, publisher or International Standard Book Number (ISBN).� Users may also narrow their search by looking under industry categories or collections.�

The collections available to UA employees include the following:
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To log into SkillPort (SkillSoft’s learning management system), users may log-in through UAOnline, MyUA Portal or the SWOHR website using their University of Alaska user name and password also referred to as Authentication Service (AuthServ) credentials.�

Additional information about UA employee e-learning. including how to log in (“SkillPort QuickStart User’s Guide”) may be found at the following website.

What were “The Most Popular Books24x7� Titles” and topics for SkillSoft’s clients� during the second quarter of 2010?�

• Titles to help people prepare for various certification exams
• Titles on Project Management.� The second most popular title overall was “A Guide to the Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK� Guide), Fourth Edition” by Project Management Institute, � 2008
• Time management was in the number one spot overall with “175 Ways to Get More Done in Less Time!” by David Cottrell and Mark C. Layton, � 2004
• A number of popular technologies appeared in the top 50 spots including SharePoint , Android 2.0 and Windows 7
• Also reflecting current concerns about financial markets and personal finances, the title “And Then the Roof Caved In: How Wall Street's Greed and Stupidity Brought Capitalism to Its Knees” by David Faber, � 2009 moved up to the 38th position overall, and the title “Make Your MONEY Work For You: How to Grow Your Investment Dollars” by Keon Chee and Ben Fok, � 2008 moved into the top 50
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At the University of Alaska, the most popular collections and books viewed included:

If you have questions about the use of SkillSoft materials or would like to schedule a demonstration in your work area, please contact Anne Sakumoto at (907) 786-1432 or your regional HR Training & Development Consultant.

Keep up-to-date on current wellness benefits and be inspired by healthy lifestyle tips through the UA Health Link. This online newsletter provides monthly updates on IHP programs, wellness breaks, current incentive programs and more. If you missed this month's issue, read it HERE.