2024 was a historic year for the growth and strength of our union. NAPE/AFSCME members banded together to protect our rights and enforce our contract like never before. Going into 2025, it’s obvious that our members are motivated to become workplace leaders, represent their fellow employees, and help grow our union for a stronger voice in the workplace.
In August 2023, member-elected delegates to our biennial Delegate Assembly set a goal of having 3,000 union members before contract negotiations began in September 2024. We reached that goal nine months early, and have since surpassed it with more than 3,300 members. This is the strongest our union has ever been, and our strength gets results.
NAPE/AFSCME President Melissa Haynes (DHHS, Fremont) said there were a lot of reasons to be a proud union member this year, but our historic growth stood out.
“I’m most proud of the almost 1,200 new members who decided to join us in fighting for our rights this year. We are over 3,300 members strong now, and we will continue to join together to ensure that our rights are protected, our voices are heard, and we can continue to negotiate our working conditions,” she said.
NAPE/AFSCME members have prevailed in grievances filed on their behalf to enforce our contract. We have taken legal action, not just on high profile cases like remote work, but also on lost wages, unjust discipline, unreasonable leave denial, and much more!
“During 2024, there were many situations that arose that called on our union members to take action and stand together in solidarity. Our members worked hard to fight for our voice to be heard in the workplace,” Melissa said.
The Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Library Commission surpassed majority membership in 2024. Multiple worksites across Nebraska also reached majority membership. We know that next year, more agencies and worksites will join those ranks.
Our members turned out in record numbers to our worksite lunch and town hall meetings to discuss our contract negotiations priorities and how they could get involved to make our priorities a reality. Their voices were heard, and member-elected delegates to the Bargaining Conference developed a strong negotiations platform based on what’s most important to our members across Nebraska.
In 2024, we also advocated for our members in the Nebraska Legislature. In February, our union testified in front of the Appropriations Committee to advocate for an increase in the Department of Motor Vehicles budget. In July, NAPE/AFSCME Executive Director Justin Hubly testified cautioning legislatures about the effects of reappropriating money and closing state jobs. The Nebraska Legislature will convene on January 8, 2025, and our union’s Government Affairs Committee will once again monitor pending legislation and advocate on behalf of our members.
In November, more than 50 union members attended our 3,000 Strong Leadership Conference. New leaders joined veteran leaders to sharpen their skills to assist union members in the workplace and grow our union. These new leaders have already been putting their skills to the test and will continue to grow and learn in 2025.
“I look forward to 2025 as we work to grow our leaders in our union,” Melissa said. “Our strength comes from standing together and never stopping in our efforts to ensure union members have a voice on the job. I’m excited to grow our leadership, help people learn about our union, and continue having conversations with my fellow State of Nebraska employees about what it means to be a union member.”
We’re proud of our union’s historic growth and accomplishments in 2024 and know that we will carry our momentum into the new year. If you’re not yet a union member, help us make 2025 successful by joining us today!
