Alaska lawmakers push to drop labor regulatory change
January 15, 2020 12:01PM AKST
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Some Alaska lawmakers want the state to drop a proposed regulatory change they believe undermines plumber and electrician workforce development. KTVA-TV reported 18 legislators sent a letter Monday opposing a state Department of Labor proposal to end a requirement for 8,000 apprenticeship hours toward a journeyman certificate of fitness. The department would allow prospective plumbers and electricians to pursue the certification outside the federally registered apprenticeship program, but would require 12,000 hours. At least one of the lawmakers calls the proposal a fix for something that is not broken. A labor official says it would restore a previous standard.
