Commissioner Recalls Dischner Advice: “Always Do What’s Right For Working People.”

Sep. 4, 2003
No. 04-07

JUNEAU – The top labor official in the Murkowski Administration today praised the late Lew Dischner, a former commissioner of labor and union activist for decades after statehood.

Dischner died September 1 following a heart attack at his home in Portland, Oregon. Memorial services are pending in Anchorage.

Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Greg O’Claray said Dischner called him after the announcement of O’Claray’s appointment by Gov. Murkowski.

“He wished me well and he recalled our years of working together on a whole range of labor issues. But it didn’t take him long to get to the point. His strongest words of advice were, ‘Always stay loyal to your boss and do what’s right for the working people of Alaska.’”

O’Claray said, “Lew Dischner always insisted – and he’d tell a labor or public official or a candidate right to his face -- doing the right thing for Alaska has to come first.”

O’Claray added, “I believe in his heart Lew Dischner considered his proudest achievement was helping folks on the North Slope and local governments to get on their feet.

“Just one example of that was Lew’s strong commitment to local hire and Alaska hire, a commitment Gov. Murkowski is equally passionate about today.”

O’Claray said that while he was working for the carpenters union in Fairbanks in the 1950s, Dischner was the first labor leader to aggressively create new job opportunities for Alaska Natives and dispatch workers to job sites. “That even had a humorous aspect to it,” O’Claray added. “It’s no accident that all of the utilidors in Barrow are made of wood and created jobs for carpenters.”

The commissioner said he recognizes that Dischner’s legacy will be overshadowed by a criminal conviction on a racketeering charge in 1989.

“That’s unfortunate reality,” O’Claray said. “Lew Dischner made a terrible mistake. But those who know about his pain know he had his regrets and paid a high price. And for those who also know about his accomplishments, he’ll always be a pillar of our state.”

Public broadcasting rated Dischner one of the 40 most influential Alaskans since statehood. And in countless news reports over the years, he was paired with the late Alex Miller as Alaska’s two most powerful lobbyists. Miller died in 1998.

“Lew was from the old school,” O’Claray said, “blue-collar, blunt to be sure, and he could be caustic at times. But he was sharp with good advice ‘til near the end and he’ll sure be missed.”

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NOTE: Attorney Jon Buchholdt advises that a memorial service for Lew Dischner is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11 at the Anchorage Teamsters Hall.

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