Alaska labor shortage (employment, wages, living)

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Wytempest

Best hope this doesn't get out. They'll be flooding AK with bidens illegals!

Who is "they"? We need skilled, younger workers. I'd be in favor of fast tracking legal immigrants that could step into some of these positions.

Previously a teacher would need an Alaska teaching certificate to work in state. Perhaps this requirement is being waived, I don't know. Any certificate might suffice. There's no way many retired teachers will be coming back to work, even if they're allowed to double dip with a salary plus a pension.

[Metlakatla]

Maybe Alaska should consider offering teachers a pension.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Cory Hughes moved to a remote Alaska village to teach and would happily stay and retire there if he could afford to — despite the dark winters and the fact the bathroom for his housing unit in the school’s kindergarten building has a sink that comes to his knees.

But Alaska is the only U.S. state that does not offer teachers a pension, and researchers say teacher pay and benefits have not kept up with other states. Hughes has bought a house in Ohio and he’s wondering how long he can remain in Nunapitchuk, the southwest Alaska village with a population of 525 he has come to love.

https://apnews.com/article/alaska-sc...1ecb85b6715b3d

[RayinAK]

No idea what's going on these days-other than reports like this one:
https://www.webcenterfairbanks.com/2...hird-one-week/

[Wytempest]

Originally Posted by Arktikos

Who is "they"? We need skilled, younger workers. I'd be in favor of fast tracking legal immigrants that could step into some of these positions.

Previously a teacher would need an Alaska teaching certificate to work in state. Perhaps this requirement is being waived, I don't know. Any certificate might suffice. There's no way many retired teachers will be coming back to work, even if they're allowed to double dip with a salary plus a pension.

Some states are doing exactly this to fill teacher positions and sounds like it has started to work? The apprentices end up with a teachers certificate after a period of time. A good deal for all as long as the kids learn!

Well, it's damn sure not conservatives, the few there are, allowing open borders , bussing, flying these illegals all over the US! Not to mention giving them free health care, well fair and places to live!

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Maybe Alaska should consider offering teachers a pension.



https://apnews.com/article/alaska-sc...1ecb85b6715b3d

Possibly this is in the works. WSJ doesn't think it's a good idea though.

"Unfunded pensions for public workers have become a huge fiscal burden on many states, and the smarter states like Florida have moved to limit future liabilities by moving to defined-contribution plans. That makes it all the more strange that Alaska may risk its future fisc by returning to defined-benefit pensions."

https://www.wsj.com/articles/alaska-...-lYvbstUogCNC4

[Northrick]

Originally Posted by Arktikos

From today’s Anchorage Daily news:

“The Anchorage School District is hoping to hire back retired teachers to help fill some of its hundreds of vacancies for the upcoming school year. It's the first time the school district has considered hiring retired teachers full time, according to Martin Lang, head of the district's human resources department”

Hundreds!

Good luck with that. I know several retired teachers and ain't know way in heck that they are going back into the classroom.

[MKTwet]

Pensions are frowned upon because it's impossible to properly manage and there's not enough workers to pay into the pension. Most pensions at some point will need taxpayer or federal assistant to close the gap at some point as most agencies are not offering anymore or hiring enough to pay into the pension.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Northrick

Good luck with that. I know several retired teachers and ain't know way in heck that they are going back into the classroom.

I have no idea about the pensions for State workers (teachers, firefighters, etc.), except that the "tier" model has changed to the point where new hires don't receive the benefits of the older and now retired workers. For example Tier II ended in 1995, so any new hires in 1996 could only be in Tier III. By having a pension plan for State worker means that their paychecks are smaller than some other workers in the private sector. In this case the private sector worker receives more $ since his or her paycheck is not being reduced by a pension plan nor health insurance. These are optional benefits that if desired, he or she has to pay for.

But if a person is in relatively good health, "in the short run" he or she can make a lot more money in the private sector than the public sector (state worker). Back in the day when the Alaska Pipeline was being built, State workers left their jobs to work on the Pipeline, made a bunch of money, and much later-some-returned to work for the State.

[sweetana3]

History repeating itself. I got a good government job in the early 70s due to zero unemployment in Alaska. The pipeline sucked all the workers off and other businesses were left with few choices.

Also back then my husband and I were extremely happy to live in a illegally converted double car garage. It has always been hard to find housing.

[Kimmy Scott]

Bringing in skilled, younger workers could really help. Fast-tracking legal immigrants for these jobs sounds like a smart move. I'm not sure about the teaching certificate requirement, but if that's being waived, it could open up more opportunities.