Alaska Employment Law

Negligent supervision:  Anchorage Municipal Light and Power disciplined a foreman for negligently supervising a crew who dug too close to a power line.  Arbitrator Robert Landau overturned the discipline, because the (experienced) crew disregarded the foreman’s cautions, and because the employer hadn’t disciplined foremen involved in similar incidents or issued specific rules about how to handle the kind of project.  Anch. Mun. Light & Power & IBEW Local 1547, 125 LA 1405 (Landau, Rbt., Arb. Nov. 4, 2008).  Jean Sagan represented the utility employer; Bill Wielechowski represented the union.

Past practice:  Two Outside arbitrators whose names often appear on panels for Alaska arbitrations both rejected claims of past practice in recent opinions.  City of Salem & AFSCME Local 2067, 125 LA 1317 (Reeves, Wm., Arb., Dec. 15, 2008); Weyerhauser Co. & AWPPW Local 586, 125 LA 1245 (Levak, Tho., Arb., Oct. 8, 2008).