(a) Employees of the Alaska Railroad are employees of the corporation and not of the state. However, employees of the corporation shall be treated as employees of the state for the purposes of AS 39.52. The provisions of AS 39, other than AS 39.52, do not apply to employees of the corporation.
(b) Except as provided in this subsection, employees of the corporation are covered by AS 23.10.050 — 23.10.150 (Alaska Wage and Hour Act). If the terms of a collective bargaining agreement that was mutually agreed upon by an organization representing train or engine service employees and the corporation so provide, AS 23.10.050 — 23.10.150 do not apply to train or engine service employees to the extent set out in the collective bargaining agreement.