Altshuler Berzon LLP Attorney Matthew Murray Argues in Alaska Supreme Court

On October 13, 2022, Altshuler Berzon LLP partner Matthew Murray presented oral argument before the Alaska Supreme Court on behalf of the Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA) in State of Alaska v. ASEA. The case involves a challenge to the Alaska executive branch’s announcement in 2019 that the State would stop honoring public employees’ voluntary union membership and dues deduction authorization agreements. The Anchorage Superior Court granted a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the State’s plans, and subsequently granted summary judgment to the union, holding that the State and members of the executive branch had breached the State’s contract with ASEA and the accompanying covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and had violated multiple provisions of Alaska’s Public Employee Relations Act (PERA) and Administrative Procedures Act (APA). The court also rejected the State’s argument that it was required to violate state law by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31. The State appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court.

News coverage of the argument is available here.

Video of the argument is available here.

ASEA’s brief before the Alaska Supreme Court is here.