ASRC Energy Services is NOT Native hire first, non-Native second. It's the most highly qualified, willing to work for the offered wages and benefits.
I worked for Ahtna, Chugach, & Voss, on clean-up crew at Sheep Creek. I ran the Diesel-Electric power plant, the Sewage Treatment plant, kept the kitchen equipment and housing furnaces running, and was camp carpenter. I got the job because I was the most qualified. The rest of the clean-up crew were also the most qualified, willing to work for 10.50 an hour, 12-7-365.
Ahtna and Chugach are both Native owned companies, and I was the only Alaska Native on that crew. All the rest were non-Native, only some of them were from Texas and Oklahoma.
ASRC has an Alaskan hire preference ... qualifications being equal. Native hire first is taboo. Alaska Native businesses don't want to be racist, unlike many of the White owned and managed companies.
I've been the token Native hire on several construction jobs ... the "scrap handler". Tell me about it!