Technical staff in Nevada state government file for union election
Technical employees of the Nevada state government last Thursday filed for a union election that could make the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees their representative for contract negotiations this fall.
According to the labor union, the state’s technical workers, one of 11 bargaining units, includes DMV services techs, family support specialists at the state’s welfare services department, transportation engineering techs and library techs, among others. The push follows a requirement that workers file for exclusive representation based on their job classifications.
“An election is the quickest way to certify our bargaining unit,” Jackie Bertot, a services tech at the Nevada DMV, said in a press release. “We’ve gone 4 years without a union contract, and it’s time we take our seat at the table with our fellow state employees.”
Options on the ballot will be AFSCME Local 4041 or no union because “no other union reached the 30% threshold for appearing on the ballot,” according to AFSCME’s announcement.
“Since winning collective bargaining rights in 2019, having a union contract has improved working conditions for all state employees,” Cedric Williams, a family support specialist with the state, said in the release. “But without having that seat at the bargaining table, employees in our bargaining unit lack the resources to make specific changes to our working conditions that would improve the services we provide.”
According to the union, 20,000 state employees won collective bargaining rights in 2019, gaining influence over wages, working conditions and resources to improve state services.
The Nebraska Association of Public Employees, which represents more than 8,000 state employees, including 1,300 remote workers, entered a legal dispute with the state in February after Gov. Jim Pillen last year announced he will require workers to return to physical offices.
Nebraska was one of many states to shift large numbers of employees to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, a change largely embraced by technology officials who saw opportunities to eliminate real estate costs and attract personnel from a wider geographic pool of candidates.
