Greetings,

 December 30, 2008

It is official.  Alaska will be furloughing, effective 1/31/08, for the first time since 1993.  They have been attempting to contact those folks impacted by this by phone.  For the record, the first time they have ever done that to my knowledge.  They are furloughing through the March class of 2008.  This is roughly 170 of our co-workers and this is the first furlough under this contract.  I am sending this short note out now mainly to let those of you on the cusp know what is happening.  There will be more info going out to those being furloughed through your reserve committee.  I certainly do not want to be sounding a “sky is falling”.  There are still several hundred of us here that recall this seasonally as a course of the job.  Please know ... you will be back.  Speaking for myself, I was trained in August of 84.  I did not get off my six months probation until October of 85, and I’m still here.

Kelle Wells
MEC President