State employees' union folds

CARSON CITY -- Local 1864, a union that at one time represented more than 2,500 state employees, is folding after its charter was revoked by its international union.

The five-year-old labor organization, which vied with the larger State of Nevada Employees Association for membership, will close its Las Vegas and Carson City offices at the end of September.

Kathy Naumann, director of 1864, said Tuesday the decision to pull the charter was made by its parent, the Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO. She said she is working now to find options for the members to join other organizations.

The decision to close Local 1864 was made in Washington, D.C., Naumann said, and was opposed by the local board of directors.

It's apparently an effort at the national level to centralize forces in Nevada toward getting the Legislature to pass a collective bargaining bill for the state's 14,000 employees. In the past, the two unions were divided on what rights state workers should have in negotiating for salaries and benefits.

The Legislature declined to pass any bill, saying the unions themselves could not agree. Then Local 1864 and SNEA reached a compromise, but the bill was scuttled in the Senate.

Claude "Blackie" Evans, executive director of the Nevada State AFL-CIO, said SEIU, would continue to represent county and hospital workers in Clark County. Evans declined comment on the demise of Local 1864.

Naumann said executives of two AFL-CIO unions in Washington -- the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees -- have been meeting since last year. SNEA is affiliated with the federation.

She said the international unions wanted to move Local 1864 members to SNEA -- a move that was resisted by Local 1864 executives.

Union officials, who asked not to be identified, said Local 1864 suffered a blow when SNEA decided to affiliate with the national federation under the AFL-CIO umbrella meaning that the younger Local 1864 could not raid SNEA members.

The Nevada State AFL-CIO also had to walk a fine line with the two competing unions. For instance, SNEA has endorsed Democrat and Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones for governor. Naumann said Local 1864 earlier endorsed Republican Kenny Guinn for governor and will make the formal announcement shortly.

With the charter revoked, state firefighters who belonged to Local 1864 have formed their own association and affiliated with the International Association of Firefighters. Peace officers of Local 1864 chose to join the Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs which is affiliated with the International Union of Police Association, AFL-CIO.

The remaining 1,500 Local 1864 union members, who are not firefighters or peace officers, will have to choose what they want to do including joining SNEA.

Naumann said that while she did not think joining SNEA was "a good choice," the decision will be left up to individual members.

Bob Gagnier, executive director of the 4,500 member SNEA, is on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

At one time, Local 1864 also represented correctional officers at the state prisons as well as Nevada Highway Patrol troopers who each pulled out to form their own associations.

Naumann said Local 1864 employs three full-time staff members who will continue to represent union members in grievances or other cases through the end of September.

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