Negotiations Team Elected, Priorities Set

After more than a year of preparation, town hall meetings, worksite visits, and listening sessions with union members all across the state, bargaining conference delegates met in Lincoln in July to officially adopt our negotiations priorities and to elect a bargaining team.

The delegates made a “step pay plan” the top priority for negotiations. Members have long complained about no opportunity to move from the minimum hiring salary to their classification maximum. With a step pay plan, employees would have their salary increases tied to their level of experience. New workers should not earn the same salary as veteran employees. We also hope that a step salary structure will help lower the turnover rate of employees who leave state service because there is no opportunity for career salary advancement.

Some other priorities the delegates debated include insurance costs, evaluation procedures, training, paid family leave, shift differentials and much more. All state employees are invited to learn more about our negotiations plans at upcoming meetings which will be held around the state, and online by Zoom video conference. Meetings are scheduled as follows:

Lincoln – August 11 – 5:30pm – Firefighters Reception Hall (251 Victory Ln)

Nebraska City – August 13 – 6pm – Scooter’s Coffee

Chadron – August 17 – 5:30pm – Holiday Inn Express (247 Ash St)

Scottsbluff – August 18 – 6pm – Fairfield Inn (902 Winter Creek Dr)

North Platte – August 19 – 5:30pm – Prairie Arts Center Textile Room (416 N Jeffers)

Omaha – August 20 – 6pm – Lansky’s (50th & L St)

Kearney – August 25 – 6pm – Old Chicago (115 2nd Ave)

Grand Island – August 26 – HyVee Club Room (115 Wilmar Ave)

Zoom Webinar – August 27 – 7pm central time (Click Here to Register)

Zoom Webinar – August 29 – 10am central time (Click Here to Register)

NAPE Negotiations Team

The following members were elected to serve as our NAPE/AFSCME bargaining team:

Brian Koch – Corrections – CSI Lincoln – Bargaining Unit A

Deb Studl – DHHS – CFS Lincoln – Bargaining Unit C

Elbert Traylor – Environment & Energy – Lincoln – Bargaining Unit E

Jimmy Kazalski – Corrections – TSCI Tecumseh – Bargaining Unit H

Rich Kerr – DHHS – BSDC Beatrice – Bargaining Unit I

Scott Loos – Military – ANG Firefighter Lincoln – Bargaining Unit M

Evelyn Springer – DAS – NSOB Lincoln – Bargaining Unit S

Ralph Quick – Electrical Board – Sutherland – Bargaining Unit X

Daniel Buchanan – Corrections – NSP Lincoln – At-Large (Bargaining Unit M)

Melissa Haynes – DHHS – Fremont CSC – At-Large (Bargaining Unit C)