Dear President Cooper,

We wanted to take a moment to welcome you to the University of Alaska as you get settled into your role as President. We look forward to working with you and the University in negotiating our historic first contract.

UA staff voted to unionize in April, and have articulated a number of key priorities as we start our negotiations with the University administration: higher wages, better work protections, and affordable health insurance. These priorities, and others comprising our initial bargaining demands, were ratified by a 95% vote. We also remain committed to ensuring that our unit remains united and avoids fragmentation so that all staff can be appropriately supported.

We were heartened to learn that the University administration has an interest in concluding negotiations well in advance of the 2027 legislation session. We agree, and believe that it would be in all of our interests to reach a tentative agreement by Friday, November 20, 2026. This would ensure that we have sufficient time to review and ratify the agreement in advance of the end of the Fall Semester, particularly given the winter holidays. Doing so will ensure that we can go to Juneau to advocate together for funding a strong contract, and other priorities that enable us to continue to serve our students and the state while conducting world-class research. 

Staff throughout the system will be actively involved in this process, and while negotiations over the specific terms of our CBA will take place between our bargaining committees we welcome further conversation with you about how to advance our shared priorities away from the bargaining table. Please let our committee know if such a conversation would be of interest, and whether your administration is willing to join us in concluding negotiations by 11/20/26.