An arbitrator has ruled for the reinstatement and back pay of a Montana Highway Patrol trooper dismissed last year over insubordination claims. The patrol had fired Trooper Alicia Bragg, also a union president, alleging she shared a workplace climate survey against orders. This survey, conducted in early 2024, revealed concerns about leadership and morale under Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s oversight, as reported by the Daily Montanan.
Bragg, who joined MHP in 2011, was terminated in April, prompting her union to file a complaint the following month. The matter was reviewed in a December hearing. Arbitrator Jeffrey Jacobs ruled on April 4 for Bragg’s reinstatement and back pay, stating she was within her rights to share the survey with the Montana Federation of Public Employees. He noted she did not misrepresent her actions during an April 2024 call with MHP Maj. Justin Braun.
Jacobs, a Minnesota-based arbiter, supported MFPE attorney Nate McConnell’s assertion that the survey, funded publicly and devoid of private details, fell under Montana’s right-to-know law, permitting public access to government documents. Although Jacobs acknowledged that employees couldn’t decide document sharing, he determined Bragg acted appropriately in her role as union president by sending the document to her union.
“The inescapable conclusion is that [Bragg] was acting in her capacity as the Union President when she sent the document to the Union,” Jacobs wrote in his 48-page decision. “It was also clear she did not send the document to the press nor did she direct anyone at the Union to do so. While the survey may have been somewhat embarrassing to the MHP, that alone did not render her action terminable.”
In a statement, Bragg expressed satisfaction with the ruling, emphasizing her dedication to her role and colleagues. MFPE President Amanda Curtis praised Bragg’s “leadership and service.” The Montana Department of Justice did not immediately comment on the decision.
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