Through the efforts of the Workplace Bullying Institute and their Alaska State Coordinator Tony Wilkerson the Anchorage Assembly has issued proclamation AR No 2012-237. Resolution No. AR 2012-237, a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing October 2012 as "Bullying Awareness Month" and October 14-20, 2012 as "Freedom from Bullies Week"
The Anchorage Assembly left out the word `workplace` in their proclamation, but it is clearly about workplace bullying. That's OK proclaiming freedom from all bullies works for me. Tony Wilkerson gave a presentation to the Safety Commission and worked with Paul Honeman the chairman who worked to help get the resolution passed.
Here is Elvi Gray-Jackson reading the proclamation and then Tony Wilkerson speaking about bullying before the assembly in the beginning of this video of the meeting. There were also discussions of school bullying and domestic violence at this meeting as well. All of these types of bullying are related and done by people who have similar issues. It is a good idea to look at them as a whole because they all can do irreparable damage to the psyches and physical health of those targeted.
I would like to thank the assembly members and Tony Wilkerson for their courage and effort. Finding out the proclamations about bullying included workplace bullying created a reaction of immediate surprise in me. I contacted Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Navarre's office about issuing a proclamation against workplace bullying after I found out about Tony Wilkerson's success in Anchorage. I did not expect to hear back from them. To my delight they reponded promptly, requested more information and are writing a proclamation. I am so used to being ignored by everyone on this subject I am stunned. They did not find out about Freedom From Workplace Bullying Week in time to put it before the borough assembly previous to Freedom From Workplace Bullying Week because I just asked them for the proclamation last friday and it must go before the assembly on the 23rd. It will still have to be passed by the assembly. Between Mayor Navarre's office responding positively and the Anchorage Assembly issuing the proclamation not only am I shocked beyond belief, in a very positve way, but also have some hope we may be able to get some legislation going against workplace bullying in Alaska.
I also want to acknowledge the efforts of Ray Southwell in fighting workplace bullying here in Soldotna which have cost him dearly. There are many things Ray and I disagree about, but we have both been outspoken about the harms of Workplace Bullying. This is just one example of an issue that we can all work together on to facilitate positive change in our communities, state and country no
matter what our political or spiritual beliefs are.
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