Wrangell public employees will likely strike over wages

WRANGELL – Unionized public employees may soon strike as negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement with the city reaches an impasse.

The escalation follows the City and Borough Assembly’s effective rejection on June 8 of a last best offer made by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Works Local #1547, which represents 24 employees of various departments and utilities.

The proposal directly to the Assembly was a unique break from traditional collective bargaining negotiations, a provision that had been agreed to when the two parties reached a legal settlement in December. The...