Both sides happy to forget paycheck petition

Republicans and labor leaders warring over a controversial paycheck protection initiative are glad the issue has been put to rest so they can turn to their real concern this time of year -- campaigning for their candidates.

State Republican leaders Tuesday agreed to waive their right to appeal Chief District Judge Myron Leavitt's decision that their so-called "workers' rights initiative" was unconstitutional and should be removed from the ballot.

In return, the AFL-CIO and other union leaders agreed not to file its counter-initiative, despite a split 7-6 vote on the settlement and resentment from some of the rank-and-file who gathered signatures to put it on the November ballot.

The Nevada State Education Association also was not happy the union petition wasn't filed.

The stipulation puts to rest a five-month long dispute over the ballot initiative.

"This is the end of paycheck deception, as we call it, here in the state of Nevada," said Claude "Blackie" Evans, secretary-treasurer of the Nevada AFL-CIO.

Nevada is now the 27th state out of 32 to defeat a paycheck protection initiative, Evans noted. "We're going to defeat it in other states, too."

The GOP initiative would have required unions to seek annual permission from their members to spend dues for political purposes. The union initiative would have prohibited state regulation of union dues.

The agreement was signed outside of Leavitt's courtroom moments before walking in and handing him the agreement at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, hours before the 5 p.m. deadline for filing signatures for the ballot initiatives.

By noon the stipulation was recorded by the county clerk and Leavitt had lifted his previous 30-day hold on the execution of his order to have the initiative removed from the ballot.

The GOP and the unions already had dispatched their representatives to file the petition in the rural counties before the stipulation was recorded. The unions were able to pull back their people, but the GOP already had filed signatures in Churchill County, requiring Leavitt to issue an order to have it stricken from the ballot.

A deal had been struck Monday, but fell apart because of internal bickering in the state GOP. Mainly, Venetian megaresort owner Sheldon Adelson, who was in Israel, wanted to appeal Leavitt's decision, but Republican leaders prevailed.

In the end, neither the Republican Party leadership nor the unions, who traditionally back Democratic candidates, wanted to spend energy on a legal battle when there are months of campaigning ahead.

"It's a victory for everyone when we walk away alive," state Republican Chairman John Mason said.

While the constitutional ballot initiative is dead, Republicans may go to the 1999 Legislature to change state collective bargaining laws. If that happens, Evans said the union would be ready to fight there, too.

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