Negotiations with the State of Nebraska have continued throughout the month of October. Our negotiations team remains committed to our salary proposal that, at a minimum, ensures that pay raises exceed inflation while taking into account years of service and satisfactory work performance. We are also standing firm on our proposals for paid parental leave, access to remote work assignments, bilingual premium pay, early retirement options, greater payout of sick leave, and much more.
The Governor’s representatives are still in the process of evaluating our salary proposals. They have indicated that they will not have a counter proposal for us until after the election is complete and the new Governor-elect is briefed on negotiations. We expect that to happen in mid to late November.
In the meantime, we have had productive discussions regarding grievance language and some other smaller procedural items. Additionally, we had a positive bargaining session with the Department of Transportation regarding specific language in the NDOT Appendix agreement. We have scheduled bargaining sessions in early November to discuss Appendix agreements with DHHS and Veterans’ Affairs. These contract talks will focus mostly on overtime assignments.
We will host a handful of meetings in November to update members on our progress. Meetings will be held as follows, and all state employees are welcome to attend:
November 3 – Fremont – 6:30-7:30pm – Gambino’s Pizza East
November 8 – Lincoln – 5:30-6:30pm – Firefighter’s Reception Hall
November 15 – Norfolk – 5:30-6:30pm – Norfolk Public Library
November 17 – Omaha – 6-7pm – Lansky’s Pizza (50th & L)
November 29 – Grand Island – 5:30-6:30pm – The Chicken Coop
November 30 – Virtual Meeting – 7pm central – Click Here to Register
We have not yet scheduled any meetings in December, but will do so based on our progress at the negotiations table. Union members will have the right to vote to accept or reject any tentative contract agreement at ratification meetings across the state and virtually. We expect ratification to take place in December or January. Keep an eye on your email for more information.