Unalaska, AK – A protest by members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302 brought Unalaska's city services to a near-standstill today.

Virtually all unionized city employees called in sick following a meeting of Local 302 members at the Grand Aleutian Hotel Monday evening. Only a handful of Title 3, or non-union executive, employees were working in otherwise deserted city offices today. City roads crews were nowhere to be seen, and the landfill, water and sewer plants and the powerhouse were staffed with just one person apiece. The library was closed all day, although the rest of the Parks, Culture & Recreation Department facilities weren't. The city landfill was closed to commercial users, but was accepting residential waste.

The closures also rippled through Unalaska's commercial businesses, with some customers of waste disposal contractor Williwaw Services reporting that the company was unable to empty their dumpsters because of the landfill closure (the company could not be reached for comment). The city hired some private contractors for road grading work today, and City Manager Chris Hladick--who contended that today's action was an "illegal strike"--said he would do more of the same for other essential services if the work stoppage continues.

"We're looking at it--preparing, if people don't come in tomorrow, making sure all services keep going," he said. "That's all we can do."

Some union members contacted today said they expected to be back at work tomorrow. All of them declined to speak on the record or call today's action a strike, and would not comment further on what exactly sparked the walkout. They referred further questions to Carl Gamble, an Anchorage-based Local 302 representative currently visiting Unalaska. Reached this afternoon, Gamble said he didn't know what sparked the work stoppage, and declined to record an interview with KIAL.

A press release sent by union representatives to the Dutch Harbor Fisherman on March 4 hinted that an action could be coming, stating that "More than 80 Unalaska city employees are hoping to avoid a work stoppage, but are increasingly frustrated with the city's hard-line stance in negotiations... ."

The incident is the latest in a prolonged showdown between the city and its union employees over the Local 302 members' contract, which expired in June. Union negotiators are seeking a 3 percent cost-of-living increase for city employees, which would allow salaries to keep up with the current rate of inflation in Alaska.

City representatives say that the cost of employee medical and retirement benefits, which jumped dramatically last spring, makes such an increase financially impossible for all employees. Hladick said the contract the city is currently offering does include a 3 percent annual raise for employees for their first nine years with the city, but it tapers off to 1.5 percent from the tenth year onwards.

In late November, the Unalaska City Council broke with past policy and approved raises for the city's Title 3 employees, which had previously been tied to union employee raises--a move that suggested the city was pessimistic about hope for progress in the contract talks in the near future. In the executive session of last week's City Council meeting, the council directed Hladick to stand by the city's existing position in the next round of negotiations with Local 302 representatives.