State’s Largest Union Accepts Labor Contract Aimed At Luring ‘New Generation’ Of Public Servants

Justin Hubly, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, leads a news conference Dec. 7, 2023, in Lincoln regarding Gov. Jim Pillen’s executive order mandating state employees return to in-peson offices by Jan. 2, 2024. (Zach Wendling / Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — The largest labor union representing state government employees has voted to accept a contract with the state that includes pay raises of between 6.5% and up to 19% over a two-year period.
Another step in the right direction is a negotiated benefit that allows six weeks of paid maternity leave, up from none before, said Justin Hubly, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees.
The Nebraska Association of Public Employees, or NAPE/AFSCME, had been in discussions with Gov. Jim Pillen’s negotiators since September, and union members wrapped up a two-week voting period on the current terms Friday.
The new contract covers more than 8,000 state employees who provide services in more than 500 jobs at more than 40 state agencies in all 93 counties, according to the union.
“Our members spoke loudly and clearly before negotiations began that in order to attract and retain state employees, salary increases had to outpace inflation and increased insurance costs,” said Hubly.
High Job Vacancy
He said vacancy rates at state agencies remain high, and union members prioritized benefits that would draw applicants who could fill gaps and help with efficient delivery of state services, including salary increases. A media statement said the union expects the contract to help lure a “new generation of public servants.”
The bulk of employees covered under the contract would see a pay raise of 6.5% over the two years, July 1, 2025-June 30, 2027, assuming satisfactory job performance. About 2,000 would see raises of between 9% and 19%, said Hubly.
Among those positions in line for higher salary increases are certain work classifications with notable vacancies, said Hubly, such as behavioral health practitioners in the state prison system and state-employed developmental disabilities service coordinators.
Pillen spokesperson Laura Strimple said Monday that Nebraskans have an expectation that their government functions in an efficient manner, and she described the new contract as fiscally conservative and “recognizing the hard work of our public servants.”
“This fiscally conservative agreement responds to that expectation, with 3.25% increases for public servants each year and targeted increases to critical areas such as nursing, behavioral health practitioners, and service personnel in developmental disabilities,” said Strimple.
Not reflected in the contract or discussed during negotiations is the future of flexibility to work remotely for state employees, a point of high-profile disagreement after Pillen ordered all state employees, save for certain exceptions, to return to the office beginning Jan. 2, 2024.
“The state refused to bargain over remote work because of the pending appeal,” Hubly said Monday.
Maternity Leave
The union and state continue a legal battle over whether it can force the state to bargain with the union over his decision to force state employees back to the office.
Hubly and other union leaders have said they plan to appeal a July decision by the Commission of Industrial Relations rejecting the union’s push to force Pillen to negotiate the issue and not act unilaterally.
Before they could do so, they needed to wait for the state labor court to decide this month that the union would have to pay the state at least $42,000 in attorney fees from the case.
Of the six weeks of paid maternity leave, Hubly said future negotiations will seek to also gain leave for new fathers. He and Melissa Haynes, president of the union and a program specialist for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services in Fremont, were pleased with the latest move.
“Six weeks of paid maternity leave is a great start to attract and retain younger public employees to serve our state,” said Haynes. “As younger Nebraskans start their families, we want to encourage them to chase a life of public service, and paid maternity leave does just that.”
Contract Highlights
Among other highlights of the new contract:
- Minimum wage of $15 an hour for contracted labor, expected to help state employees better compete with outside workers.
- “Premium pay” for people in designated positions who speak more than one language.
- Catastrophic illness sick leave sharing program, which allows flexibility to donate sick leave to other workers.
- Higher shift differentials for the Nebraska State Patrol and Department of Transportation.
- “Premium pay” for certain NDOT employees with commercial drivers licenses, such as snow plow drivers, which is expected to help retain a high turnover group.
This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/states-largest-union-accepts-labor-c...
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