Meet the bargaining team negotiating our NAPE/AFSCME 2025-2027 union contract! This team of union leaders will meet with the governor’s negotiations team at the bargaining table beginning in September.
The bargaining team was elected by their fellow delegates at the NAPE/AFSCME Bargaining Conference in July.
NAPE/AFSCME President Melissa Haynes, a DHHS Social Services Lead Worker in Fremont, is proud to be a negotiations team member and have the opportunity to advocate for the workers of Nebraska and all NAPE/AFSCME members.
Melissa has served on the negotiations team three times and brings a wealth of experience to the table. She’s committed to negotiating the best possible contract to improve the lives of her fellow State of Nebraska employees.
“I call on all of our members to get involved this year,” she said. “Come to meetings, wear your NAPE gear on negotiations action days, share information with your colleagues, and engage with our social media posts. We’re stronger together.”
NAPE/AFSCME Vice President Brian Koch, a Workforce Coordinator for the Department of Labor in Beatrice, is most excited about the opportunity to create a fair and equitable agreement that benefits both our members and the State of Nebraska.
“Being a part of this negotiations process means that I am one of the people acting as a voice for our members – a voice that needs to address important issues such as wages, working conditions, benefits, and job security,” he said.
Brian said he hopes to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement that improves working conditions and benefits for our members while ensuring the sustainability and productivity of State operations. This will be Brian’s third time serving on the negotiations team.
“I want members to know they’re welcome to provide input, participate in discussions at meetings, vote in the ratification process, and support the team by attending rallies when we hold them,” he said.
Brandon Brown, a Senior Revenue Agent for the Department of Revenue in Lincoln, has been on the negotiations team in the past and knew he could bring experience and knowledge to the table. He ran because he wants to represent all State of Nebraska employees at the table and improve on the progress our union made during contract negotiations two years ago.
Brandon is most excited to build on the record-breaking contract we won last year. He said that he knows this year will be different than previous negotiations, but after seeing what the delegates put together at the bargaining conference, he’s confident that this is the most focused our union has been.
“I hope to be able to come back with an offer that makes the membership say ‘Wow, this is another great step forward for workers.’ That’s always the goal,” he said.
Brandon wants to see members get involved by talking to their coworkers who aren’t yet members of our union and explaining the importance of joining and making our union strong. He also noted that it’s important for our membership to vote in local elections and elect labor-friendly candidates.
Ashlie Thompson, a Department of Disabilities Service Coordinator for the Department of Health and Human Services in Lincoln, said she’s excited about being on a great bargaining team. Her goal is to negotiate the best possible contract worthy of ratification.
Ashlie knows that in order to win a strong contract, our union must keep growing.
“I want our members to stay informed, have accurate information, and convey that information to their colleagues in a way that they can understand,” she said. “I want to see non-members finally join us and show their support and solidarity. We can accomplish so much with a stronger union.”
Jay Jensen, a Senior Highway Maintenance Worker for the Nebraska Department of Transportation in Omaha, is excited to work collaboratively with Governor Pillen and his negotiations team. His goal is to share the value of our workforce and to impress upon them how valuable the services provided by State of Nebraska employees are to Nebraskans.
Jay wants to be a voice for all of our union members – and he hopes to see our union grow.
“We’re on our way to majority membership and I know we can get there,” he said.
Jay hopes to see his fellow members become new Volunteer Member Organizers and help build our union. He said that members can get involved during negotiations and help the bargaining team by staying up to date and spreading the word to their non-member colleagues about what our union can do and why it’s important to be a member.
Dan DeJong, an Environmental Specialist II for the Department of Environment and Energy in Lincoln ran for the bargaining team because he wanted to be more involved in fighting for his coworkers’ rights. He’s determined to negotiate the best possible contract and boost membership while doing so.
This is Dan’s first time on the bargaining team, and his goal is to negotiate higher wages and better benefits. With active members, Dan is confident that we can win.
“I want members to become stewards, come to meetings, attend the rallies, and realize that not only could we have better pay, benefits, and working conditions, but we should have them,” he said. “Nebraska has fallen so far behind the rest of the country and we can’t just accept it. We deserve better and the only way we get it is by fighting for it.”
Mackenzie Marrow, a Library Technician for the Library Commission in Lincoln, ran for the bargaining team because they believe that solidarity is the only way to make any sort of progress. They also recognized the importance of representing Nebraska’s diverse workforce and elevating those voices at the bargaining table.
Mackenzie is most excited to advocate for workers’ rights – especially when it comes to pay inequity and discrimination. They hope to help negotiate a contract that all State of Nebraska employees can be proud of.
Mackenzie hopes to see members get involved by participating in organizing events and raising awareness about the hard work our members are doing to negotiate the best possible contract.
“This affects all of us,” they said. “So I want members to be involved and aware of what’s happening at the bargaining table.”
Carlos Ndirangu, a Staff Care Technician II at the Norfolk Veterans Home, was on our union’s bargaining team two years ago and is eager to bring members’ collective voices to the table again.
Carlos ran for the bargaining team because he wants to be a strong advocate for his fellow members at 24-hour facilities. He knows that with record-high union membership and active union members, our union can win the best possible contract this year.
“I hope that union members actively participate in upcoming organizing events and attend meetings,” he said. “It’s also important that they invite their non-member colleagues to join us in our efforts and help grow our membership. Together, we can make a significant impact.”
Tim Miller, a Highway Maintenance Crew Chief in Ravenna, is most excited to learn and grow as a first-time member of our bargaining team. His goal is to make the State of Nebraska a better place to work and especially wants to focus on taking care of the veteran workers who are nearing retirement.
“Some of our members have put in a lot of time and quality work as long-time employees,” he said. “We have to take care of them while also attracting new and experienced talent that can produce quality work right out of the gate.”
Tim appreciates the opportunity to serve as a member of the negotiations team and said that with the help of union members across the state, he knows we can win a good contract.
“I want members to communicate about what we’re doing and how we are trying to improve the workplace through negotiations. Spreading the word about how we achieve things through contract negotiations – everything from raises to boot allowances – will help employees understand why it’s important to be involved,” he said. “Numbers speak volumes and the more we have, the louder we are.”
Daniel Buchanan, a Waiver Services Specialist for the Department of Health and Human Services in Beatrice, ran for the bargaining team because he feels he has a unique perspective as someone who has worked in multiple positions across different state agencies.
“I have a good understanding of how the decisions we make will affect a broad range of people and can help make the team make those critical decisions,” he said.
Daniel is excited to see our union continue to grow and educate members about the importance of active union membership. His goal is to help bring a contract back to the membership that everyone feels they benefit from.
This will be Daniel’s third time serving on the negotiations team, and he knows that active members can make a difference during the negotiations process.
“We need them to stay educated on the newest developments as they come and show up or at least spread the word as far as possible when we need to take action to show the state that we are in this together and that we refused to take a bad deal,” he said.
The negotiations team will take the proposals passed by delegates at the bargaining conference to the table to negotiate with Governor Pillen and his bargaining team. Stay informed by liking us on Facebook, and following us on Instagram and X!
