Facilities Services is examining whether to require its employees to wear uniforms, a proposal that could cost up to $40,000, officials say.

A committee met March 8 to discuss whether the department should purchase its roughly 150 workers official uniforms. The discussions were only preliminary, and the group can only recommend, not purchase, the new dress attire, said Facilities Services spokeswoman Jenny Barrett.

"I guess the issue came up just for how to identify employees," she said.

At the moment, Facilities Services already buys shirts for its employees, but they are not required, said Dave Miller, director of maintenance. He guessed about 40 percent of employees wear them.

Requiring uniforms will allow the campus to easily identify the department's workers, Miller said.

"When someone sees one of our employees working down the hall, they should know they're with Facilities Services, that there's a reason they're there," he said.

Miller said uniforms will also ensure workers don't dress in ways that give off bad impressions, such as wearing shorts or tank tops.

"[For] people walking in, the first impression is a lasting one," said Kevin Purcell, a facilities services technician and a member of the committee.

Miller first pitched the idea five years ago, but said he ran into resistance from the union, Alaska Higher Education Craft and Trades Union Local 6070. Union representatives said Facilities Services would need their memberships' OK, since some workers might not want to wear uniforms, Miller said.

"Obviously if we want our employees identified we need all our employees identified," he said.

At least three union leaders have attended the committee's meetings, Miller said. Bill Cox, the supervisor of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning department, is heading the committee.

At the meeting March 8, employees representing the 15 workshops in the department questioned why a badge wasn't enough if the uniforms were intended for identification, according to meeting notes by Cox.

They also asked if the department would have a disciplinary policy for those who did't wear the uniforms, and also asked about clothes for special conditions, like cold weather.

According to the notes, the general consensus was that the dress code would at minimum include shirts and outerwear.

All employees already wear pants that fit federal safety requirements, the notes observe. According to the notes, many shops, such as the power plant and vehicle shop, have different needs and may need to be addressed individually.

Miller said he's not sure what the ultimate decision will be, but said he thought it would be possible employees would be issued up to five T-shirts each. With around 150 employees and an estimated cost of $15-25 apiece, the price tag could reach near $20,000. Miller said he thought it was possible the costs could hit $40,000 if the union negotiates laundry as well.

"Once we get a recommendation from the committee, then we can look at the price of it," he said.