Opinion ID: 2581016
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The plain language of the statute is ambiguous.

Text: Alaska Statute 23.40.210(a) generally addresses the legislature's requirements for labor relations agreements involving public employers. [42] In addition to mandating that every such agreement be in writing, that its term not exceed three years, and that it include a cost-of-living differential for in-and out-of-state employees, subsection .210(a) commands that each collective bargaining agreement include a grievance procedure which shall have binding arbitration as its final step. The state claims that this requirement is satisfied because the agreement in this case includes a grievance-arbitration procedure, albeit one that exempts the state's indemnification decisions. According to the state, the statute requires only that the agreement include a grievance-arbitration procedure, but it does not require that all mandatory subjects of bargaining be governed by the grievance procedure. The state claims that it would deter collective bargaining and defeat the purposes of PERA if we interpret AS 23.40.210(a) to require that arbitration be available for all subjects of bargaining. In the state's view, AS 23.40.210(a) does not prohibit bargaining about the availability of arbitration. The state's analysis notwithstanding, the plain language of subsection .210(a) does not answer the question before us. While the statute on its face requires only that an agreement include a grievance procedure which culminates in binding arbitration, the state's interpretation would permit the parties to waive the right to grieve each negotiated provision. Because that interpretation could potentially read all meaning out of the statute, we cannot rely on the plain language of the statute alone in ascertaining the legislature's intent. We therefore look to other sources to determine what result the legislature intended to achieve.