Three NAPE/AFSCME members at the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs (NDVA) recently prevailed in grievances challenging their unsatisfactory performance evaluations. Marisol Myers and Terry Allgayer from the Western Nebraska Veterans Home in Scottsbluff and Michelle Millsap from the Central Nebraska Veterans Home in Kearney all reached out to our union reps shortly after receiving their evaluations.
“I never got a tap on the shoulder saying I needed to improve in the adaptability area of my job, which is what I got scored negatively on and what caused me to get less than a three on my evaluation,” Michelle said. “I spoke with the steward at my worksite because I didn’t feel my performance review was done fairly, and I’m so thankful that I did.”
All of them echoed the same sentiment: receiving a less-than-satisfactory performance evaluation made them feel underappreciated.
“I definitely felt like I should’ve gotten a satisfactory evaluation, especially because I was commended by my supervisor for working 575 overtime hours last year. I got a little keychain and a pen as a ‘thank you’ for all of that overtime,” Marisol said. “But a pen and a keychain won’t pay for my groceries. I work really hard, and I felt that I deserved a satisfactory review and the pay raise that comes along with it.”
Terry said she was glad to hear that other people at NDVA were challenging their performance evaluations as well.
“All we ask for is dignity and respect,” she said. “My coworkers and I aren’t going to be forced to keep our heads down. We love our veterans, we respect each other, and a lot of us are here for the right reasons. Our supervisors are meant to help us and encourage us to succeed. We should all be on the same team.”
After winning their grievances, Michelle, Marisol, and Terry all had their 2023 annual performance evaluations adjusted to at least a 3.0, meaning that they will receive a three-step pay increase on July 1, 2024.