Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Committee passes collective bargaining for state employees

CARSON CITY -- The Assembly Government Affairs Committee voted 11-3 in favor of a bill that would give 14,000 state employees the right to bargain collectively for wages and benefits.

Assembly Bill 131, which goes to the floor of the Assembly for a vote either late this week or early next week, creates nine different bargaining units that would negotiate with the governor and his representatives.

A similar bill has passed the Assembly six times since the early 1970s, but it got all the way through only once, in 1991 when it was vetoed by Gov. Bob Miller.

Bob Gagnier, executive director of the 4,000-member State of Nevada Employees Association, said AB131 "would undoubtedly pass on the floor. I hope it's not a party line vote."

The three opposing votes were cast by Republicans -- David Humke of Reno, Sandra Tiffany of Henderson and Kathy Von Tobel of Las Vegas. Two Republicans, Merle Berman of Las Vegas and Dawn Gibbons of Reno, supported the bill.

Asked about its chances in the Republican controlled Senate, Gagnier said, "I'll wait and see."

Gov. Kenny Guinn has already said he opposes collective bargaining for state workers, and the GOP may not let it out of committee in the Senate.

The bill creates nine units that would conduct negotiations on wages, hours and working conditions, benefits, grievances and labor disputes. There is no right to strike in the bill.

City and county employees and schoolteachers have held the right of collective bargaining for more than 25 years, but there has been resistance in the Legislature to extend the right to state employees.

Nine bargaining units would be established to conduct talks with the executive branch. These groups would include custodial and institutional employees, clerical workers, technical aides, professional employees, health care and personal care workers, highway patrol officers, correctional employees, and other employees with peace officer status such as at the state Public Utilities Commission and supervisory personnel.

Whatever agreement reached with the governor would be subject to the approval of the Legislature.

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