Embattled head of police union says he’ll fight for job

By Ana Ley

Published Thursday, April 2, 2015 | 12:24 p.m.

Updated Thursday, April 2, 2015 | 2:43 p.m.

The head of Nevada’s most powerful police union said he’s being dismissed unfairly by the group’s board members because they’re worried about losing their jobs to a contentious collective bargaining bill.

Chris Collins, who kept silent this week after news spread of the group’s messy fight, held a news conference this morning to say he won’t back down from his post as executive director of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association.

Collins said he has been effectively banned from entering the union’s headquarters, where the locks have been changed. His email account also has been shut down, he said.

“I’ve never backed away from any fight,” Collins said. “I’m not going to back away from this fight.”

In a union memo obtained by the Las Vegas Sun on Tuesday, Las Vegas Police Protective Association Treasurer Scott Nicholas accused Collins of a long list of bylaw violations, including an alleged scheme to use anti-union legislation for his own gain.

Collins, whose attempted ousting comes as state lawmakers are considering bills to limit union power, is accused of willfully neglecting to speak out against a proposed law that would weaken collective bargaining power for police, firefighters and other local government employees.

At today’s news conference, Collins denied the accusation and offered copies of a letter penned by a group of fellow union heads that urged the police union’s board to hold off on firing Collins until the legislative session ends.

The group, which includes Melissa Johanning, president of the LVPPA’s civilian employee union, commended Collins’ work to help hash out a plan to convince lawmakers to kill Assembly Bill 182.

“There is never a good time for in-house issues to occur, but the consensus here in Carson City is that this is not the time to be removing what could be one of the critical people in our battles to maintain and protect our rights, benefits, and ultimately our members,” the letter reads.

The seven-member board, which meets tonight to discuss Collins’ fate, has declined to comment, citing an ongoing internal investigation. Spokesman Bryan Yant said the group will carry on with business as usual.

Collins said he suspects the board is trying to get rid of him because he suggested eliminating board positions to offset potential costs brought on by a section in AB 182 that would take taxpayer money from unions.

Under the proposed bill, unions would operate solely on membership dues.

The executive board’s seven members, on average, make about $140,000 a year, Collins said.

“I’m a plan-for-the-worst guy,” Collins said. “If they were passing laws right now today, I think that portion of the bill comes out just as it is right now. But seven weeks from now, who knows what it’ll say.”