When NAPE/AFSCME member Mike St. Cin received his annual performance evaluation and it was unsatisfactory, he contacted his union representative right away for advice and assistance. Long time union steward and leader at the Nebraska State Office Building René Botts reviewed Mike’s evaluation and knew immediately that the evaluation didn’t comply with our union contract.
“It was fairly obvious right away that Mike’s evaluation wasn’t scored in compliance with our contract,” said René. “All of Mike’s goals were scored satisfactory, but he was dinged in one area regarding absences and that caused his overall evaluation score to be slightly lower than the 3.0 required for satisfactory performance.”
René’s experience and training helped her quickly identify a clear contract violation. Our contract states that DHHS cannot lower a performance evaluation based on an employee’s use of approved sick leave. In Mike’s case, all of his sick leave was approved by management.
“I’m so glad I have René as a resource at work,” Mike said. “This is the second time she’s helped me out when management violated our contract. Our union is lucky to have her as a union steward.”
After René filed a grievance on Mike’s behalf, DHHS agreed that management had violated our contract. It rescored Mike’s performance evaluation and his new score was satisfactory. As a result, Mike will see a salary step increase on July 1, in addition to his base salary increase.
If you receive an unsatisfactory performance evaluation, contact your union representative right away to review the evaluation and ensure it complies with our contract. If you’re ready to step up and be a union steward like René, sign up for a 2025 leadership training weekend here.
