The Sitka Assembly on Tuesday (8-26-25) approved a negotiated agreement between the city and the state employees union.
Labor negotiations began in March with the Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA), which represents 51 city employees. ASEA is one of four unions representing municipal workers across all departments.
The three-year agreement includes a 3% pay increase for the fiscal year that started July 1, and 2.5% increases each of the next two years.
“We also had a pretty restrictive safety and health provision that was a very formalized process,” said Human Resources Director Josh Branthoover at Tuesday’s meeting. “We made it more informal to work closer with employees to make sure that we’re reacting more prudently to any safety and health issues.”
The agreement also includes the introduction of “flex time,” which allows employees to credit extra hours worked toward leave time within the same workweek, and revises layoff procedures.
It also includes a one-time lump sum payment of $750 for ASEA employees and bumps up the pay scale beyond the matrix adjustment for several positions.
City staff estimate the total increased cost to the city will be $502,248 over the three-year contract.
