NAPE/AFSCME union membership surpassed another record in July when 278 state employees became new members of our union. State employees from Omaha to Scottsbluff and Falls City to Chadron have united together to use our collective voice to win higher pay and better benefits at the bargaining table.
Our new biennium labor contracts began on July 1, and state employees now have higher pay and access to new benefits. Our membership has been at a record high, and has continued to grow, over the past two years. We’ve leveraged our record membership growth at the bargaining table to win the largest pay raises in the 37 year history of the State Employees Collective Bargaining Act.
New benefits for union members include paid maternity leave, catastrophic sick leave sharing, equal vacation and sick leave earnings across bargaining units, higher shift differentials, CDL pay, and more. These wins were made possible by union members who united together at the bargaining table.
With 278 new members joining our union in July, we now turn our attention toward the future. With the Governor proposing $500 million in budget cuts, we’re organizing to protect state services and state employees. We must unite together to protect our fellow Nebraskans from devastating cuts to public services. If you are not a union member, will you join your union today?