ASEA submitted its amended unit description on May 25, 2010, to the Alaska Labor Relations Agency (ALRA).� The university then prepared a roster of employees in the proposed bargaining unit.� UA submitted the roster to the ALRA on June 7, 2010.� Since that time the ALRA compared the names on the roster with the signed representation cards provided by ASEA.

On Friday, June 25, ALRA verbally informed UA and ASEA that the union had submitted enough signed interest cards to meet the 30 percent level required for an election.�� The university will send out a notification to employees about the approximate timeframe for the election and other details as they become available.

For further information on the union organizing process please go to the Labor and Employee Relations website: http://www.alaska.edu/labor/union-organizing/index.xml

Recently, KUAC aired a news story about the status of union organizing at the University. Listen to the KUAC broadcast HERE. (The union story is second, after a brief first segment.)

On June 25, 2010, the university sent a communication to employees in the proposed bargaining unit with estimates of the amount of dues that UA staff should expect to pay if there is a favorable vote for union representation.� Subsequently, ASEA’s Business Manager Jim Duncan advised the university that the dues amounts that UA obtained from the ASEA website were not correct and that the following dues schedule would apply to UA employees:

Base dues of $4.62 per pay period plus a percentage of base wage earnings.
1% of the base wage earnings up to and including $769.00
1.05% of the base wage earnings above $769.00 up to and including $1,538.00
1.10% of the base wage earnings above $1,538.00 up to and including $2,308.00
1.15% of the base wage earnings above $2,308.00 up to and including $3,077.00
1.20% of the base wage earnings above $3,077.00 up to and including $3,846.00
1.25% of the base wage earnings that is greater than $3,846.00 for that pay period

The following link will take you to a chart that provides a quick reference of dues amounts for UA employees, based on various salary levels.� Union Dues Chart

The university will continue providing you with information concerning issues related to the upcoming union election so that you can make a well-informed decision in casting your ballot. Your participation in the vote is very important.

The new Staff Salary Schedule for FY11, which includes a 3 percent across-the-board increase and a 2 percent grid increase for the FY11 Temporary Staff Salary Schedule, goes into effect on July 4, 2010.� Employees will see a change in their salary in the July 30, 2010, paycheck.�

For more information visit HR's Classification and Compensation website at:� http://www.alaska.edu/classification/.

The official Independence Day holiday leave for UA staff will be Monday, July 5, 2010 and Tuesday, July 6, 2010. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

The Statewide Office of Human Resources will continue to offer Wednesday Webinars for University employees, through ComPsych Corporation.� The calendar is posted at www.alaska.edu/hrtraining and will be updated as additional webinars are confirmed.� The next webinar is scheduled for July 14, 2010.�� You can register by clicking on the date below.� A description of the webinar can be accessed by clicking on the webinar title.

July 14 @ 11:00am - Where Are You Going? Goal Setting for Personal and Professional Success

The webinars are generally 45 minutes in length and are open to University of Alaska employees system-wide.� There is no charge 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 their desk, using a computer and telephone to join the audio via a toll-free number.� Register in advance to ensure you receive a reminder and the webinar handouts.

A� "Management Knowledge Center" is available to� University of Alaska employees and has replaced the “Leadership Knowledge Center” which was available during 2009.�� The knowledge centers can be accessed after logging into one’s individual SkillSoft account.� The Management Knowledge Center is a resource which SkillSoft has created to assist new and experienced managers as well as employees working on certain management skills.� It’s intended to be a one-stop portal to locate learning resources and learning paths.� Archives from the past three months can also be located on the knowledge center portal.�

One Hour Courses
You can easily find these one hour courses under “Catalog” and “1 Hour Courseware.”� Curriculum is available on a variety of topics such as "Administrative Support", "Communication" and "Team Building."

New Books
SkillSoft’s Books 24x7 includes over 25,000 books online.� If you wish to receive an email notification of new titles, you simply submit a request after logging into your own account. New titles are added weekly in the various book categories, e.g.� the AnalystPerspectives, BusinessPro, ITPro, OfficeEssentials and Wellbeing Essentials.�

Pull Your Own Report and Completion Certificates
Instructions are posted on the Statewide Human Resources Training & Development e-learning webpage on:

1.��� How to Pull Your Own Report
2.��� How to� Pull a Certificate of Course Completion

These items may be helpful if you need to provide documentation for recertification credits.� You may also want to print a copy of the course description or outline which describes the course topics and estimated time of completion.� Not sure what this is referring to?� Read on.

Need Recertification Credits?� SkillSoft Courses Provide an Option

SkillSoft courses may be used as continuing professional education credit for individuals who hold credentials or have achieved certifications associated with various globally-recognized sponsor organizations. Learn more about how SkillSoft's courses can support the professional development requirements of various organizations.�

University employees may find information at the Statewide Human Resources webpage or at SkillSoft.com Info Center on Certification for a thorough explanation of process and requirements, applicable courses and to identify the sponsor organizations or boards which confer certification and have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for recertification credit.��

If you have any questions about any of the above topics or would like to schedule a demonstration of the SkillSoft resources, please contact Anne Sakumoto at (907) 786-1432 or assakumoto@alaska.edu.

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.