Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workplace Concerns Port topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Port employees bring letter to council; city to report back after organizational review
Summary
Port/harbor employees told the council they had submitted a letter describing persistent workplace issues outside union negotiations. Council received an internal Port & Progress organizational review and directed City Manager Abner to report back with findings and recommended next steps by Aug. 20, 2026.
KETCHIKAN — Several Port/Harbor employees addressed the City Council on July 16 to put faces to a letter they said had been sent to council describing longstanding workplace concerns.
"We just want to give you a chance to put faces with the names that are in that letter," said Doreen Grossmanor, who identified herself as a Maintenance I employee with the port. She told council the issues in the letter had been raised repeatedly with the department head and human resources over roughly 19 months with no substantive changes.
Craig Bisson, who identified himself as associated with Gordon Harbors, told the council the matter "just kinda grew and grew" from one‑on‑one conversations to a broader set of concerns inside and outside the department. "We would like you to really seriously take a look at what is in there," Bisson said.
Council later moved to receive the Port & Progress organizational review dated July 7, 2026, and requested the city manager report back with findings and recommended next steps at or before the Aug. 20 regular meeting. Several council members thanked employees for following protocol and for bringing forward concerns; one council member said an independent organizational assessment may be considered depending on the manager's findings.
City staff told the council they have implemented interim safety measures while the review proceeds: equipment safety items were addressed, a forklift was red‑tagged, and interim procedures were put in place to reduce risky tasks for staff. "We've red‑tagged the forklift, and we've implemented interim procedures on the oil truck to ensure that staff isn't having to climb up there all the time to check that level," a city staff member reported.
The council approved the motion to receive the report and directed the city manager to return with recommended next steps by Aug. 20. The manager's follow‑up will include any recommendation about whether an independent organizational assessment is warranted.
