Saunders praises historic contract for Nevada state employees
AFSCME Local 4041 members won collective bargaining rights for 20,000 Nevada state employees during the 2019 legislative session and began contract negotiations in the fall of 2020. The historic contract includes wage increases and provides for a host of workplace improvements that will help streamline the efficient delivery of public services
WASHINGTON — On Sunday, May 16, members in the four bargaining units comprising AFSCME Local 4041 voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first contract with the state of Nevada. The contract, which goes into effect on July 1, 2021, must now be approved by the state Board of Examiners. AFSCME President Lee Saunders said the following:
“After fighting for 20 years to get a voice on the job and a seat at the table, Nevada state employees have a contract that will improve working conditions and enable them to better provide the public services Silver State communities need to build back better. When we have the freedom to build power together in our union and negotiate the terms of our employment, it makes our neighborhoods healthier, safer and stronger. Throughout the pandemic, Nevada public service workers risked everything to deliver vital public services needed to crush the virus, while also using their collective voice to advocate for the American Rescue Plan, which includes a multibillion dollar investment in Nevada communities. This contract gives Nevada state employees the respect they deserve. The next step must be for Congress to extend that same respect to all public service workers nationwide, empowering them with collective bargaining rights by passing the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.”
To read a statement from AFSCME Local 4041 detailing the benefits of the contract to public service workers and their communities, please see below:
AFSCME Local 4041 members vote yes to ratify contract
LAS VEGAS – On Sunday, May 16, 2021, members in the four bargaining units certified as AFSCME Local 4041 overwhelmingly voted yes to ratify their first contract with the state of Nevada. Workers in these four units, who have continued to provide essential services to Nevadans during the pandemic, include nurses, mental health counselors, mental health technicians, developmental technicians, custodial and maintenance workers, highway workers, correctional officers, and other essential workers.
This first contract sets standards of employment that improve working conditions for thousands of Nevada state employees, including policies that address vacancies, overtime, and shift and post bidding. The contract also includes a 3% wage increase in the second year of the contract for workers in these four bargaining units and reopens negotiations for wage increases for the first year, based on better-than-expected state revenue projections, including billions of dollars the state received from the federal government from the American Rescue Plan, legislation AFSCME members fought for over the last year and that President Joe Biden signed in March.
“Members of Local 4041 are incredibly proud of this first contract. More than 20 years in the making, this contract lays a solid foundation to ensure a strong and secure future for state employees and the essential services we provide to our communities. When public service workers have a voice on the job, as we have exercised through collective bargaining, workers are better equipped to provide the services our communities need. As the largest union for Nevada state employees, AFSCME Local 4041 looks forward to a new chapter for state workers and the communities we serve,” said Harry Schiffman, an electrician at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and president of AFSCME Local 4041.
The contract, which goes into effect on July 1, 2021, must now be approved by the state Board of Examiners.
AFSCME Local 4041 members won collective bargaining rights for Nevada state employees during the 2019 legislative session and began contract negotiations in the fall of 2020.