On December 13, our union members filed a petition with the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR) alleging that the State of Nebraska violated state law by refusing to negotiate over Executive Order 23-17 which would have effectively ended remote work for state employees on January 2, 2024. Additionally, union members filed a motion for temporary relief, asking the CIR to order the State to halt implementation of the Executive Order while the petition is pending.
On December 29, the CIR ruled in our favor by granting our union’s motion for temporary relief. The order effectively halts the implementation of the Executive Order while our case is pending. The order states that the status quo must be maintained, where agencies operate under their remote work policies as they did just prior to the issuance of the Executive Order. A copy of the order can be viewed here.
The order will remain in effect while our prohibited practices petition is pending at the CIR. State of Nebraska employees who work remotely or in a hybrid arrangement should continue working in that manner. If a supervisor orders you to report to a worksite, it is our general advice to obey your supervisor’s order, then contact us for assistance. The CIR’s order is enforceable, and we will assist our members in enforcement if necessary. Please be advised that our field staff will be off for the holiday weekend and will be available to members again on January 2.
This is a hard-fought, but temporary, victory. We hope that the governor will change his mind and meet with us to negotiate. If he does not, we will continue to fight this case at trial. Our strength comes from our members. Our fight is not done yet. If you’re not yet a member of our union, will you join us today?