Joining the Wall
Hooligan habitat
Fish This!
Subscribe at www.skagwaynews.com/subscribe
THE SKAGWAY NEWS.
Beierly accepts award PAGE 8
Using science PAGE 3
May 28, 2021
Sk a g w ay, A l a s k a
ATRA passes, cruise ships head to Alaska
By Gretchen Wehmhoff Skagway may see some semblance of a tourist season after over a year without cruise ships. All it took was an act of Congress. On Monday, President Joe Biden signed the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act (ATRA) which sailed through both bodies of the U.S. Congress in an unprecedented ten days. The act, designed to remove obstacles holding back cruise sailings to Alaska, was sponsored and promoted by the Alaska delegation of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young. It provides a temporary reprieve to the enforcement of a century old law, the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). The PVSA prohibits foreign-flagged passenger vessels from sailing directly between U.S. ports. Usually, vessels arriving in Alaska from other U.S. ports such as Seattle or Los Angeles must dock in Canada on their way. With Canada’s decision to prohibit cruise ships in their waters and ports, cruise ships were stymied. The ATRA will allow suspension of the U.S. law until next year. “This bill represents an essential first step toward getting cruise ships back to Skagway. Our economy is almost solely dependent on cruise tourism and our future as a community is at stake,” said Skagway Mayor Andrew Cremata in a press release. He applauded the “dogged determination” of Murkowski, Sullivan and Young in getting the bill through Congress. Cremata warned residents to temper their anticipation as the harbor towns, cruise lines and CDC agree on continued on page 3
Award winning column PAGE 8
$1.50
Photo by Jason Verhaeghe
Finnley Verhaeghe (7) and Fable Wallace (8) splash in the Haines pool. They joined a charter boat on a trip sponsored by the Skagway Childcare Council (SCC). SCC organized the water safety and swim lessons as Skagway has no pool.
Labor talks continue as railroad prepares for summer By Gretchen Wehmhoff Grievance negotiations between White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) and Teamsters 959 are headed towards arbitration. Twenty-seven jobs were abolished in February, leaving 27 railroad workers without employment. Another 15 employees have been called back from seasonal furlough status. The union initiated the contractual grievance process this past spring and the two parties are now headed to the third and possibly final stage, binding arbitration. “We’re always looking for a resolution,” said Teamster business representative Norm Blair. Blair says both sides are starting the process of suggesting arbitrators. Once the parties agree upon the arbiter, they will prepare to present their cases. “It’s very cordial,” said
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Blair. WP&YR Human Resource Director Tyler Rose said that since the situation is an ongoing employment issue that is being pursued through the contractual grievance process, they
won’t be commenting on the process. In the meantime, Rose says there have been no further permanent force reductions and that WP&YR has maintained the same active roster of fifteen. Cathy Hackett, one of the
27 employees whose position was abolished has been following the process. Hackett believes, “the abolishment of these jobs was totally unnecessary. These people were already
By Melinda Munson For the first time in Skagway history, Mayor Andrew Cremata acknowledged Skagway is on traditional Native Alaskan land before moving on to the Pledge of Allegiance at the May 20 assembly meeting. “Let us start this assembly meeting by formally acknowledging that we are conducting business on the traditional land of the Chilkoot Tlingit people,” Cremata said. “We honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have
stewarded it throughout the generations.” It was a special moment for Jaime Bricker, president of Skagway Traditional Council (STC), a sovereign tribal government located in the municipality of Skagway, representing approximately 65 enrolled members. “It’s significant to me and I know I speak on behalf of the Skagway Traditional Council membership that it’s nice to receive that recognition, possibly for the first time ever,” Bricker said. “It speaks to the cooperation
that I feel within the assembly and through the administration … It’s just the way that it should be. In the 17 years that I’ve been with the traditional council, it’s not the way that it has always been.” Bricker said the statement was a team effort as the mayor conferred with STC for advice on how to word the acknowledgment. “What he came up with last night, I thought it was perfect,” Bricker said, a day after the historical acknowledgment.
continued on page 2
Mayor opens meeting acknowledging Skagway sits on traditional tribal land
BLOTTER PAGE 7 CLASSIFIED PAGE 7
FREE personal classifieds up to 25 words. CALL (907)983-2354 for more information.