CIR Says State is in Violation of Order

Late on January 10, the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR) entered an order in our pending prohibited practice case regarding remote work. The order was entered in response to a motion by the State of Nebraska to clarify the CIR’s December 29 order that stated no changes should be made to employees’ remote work status while our prohibited practices petition is pending trial at the CIR. 

In yet another victory for our union members, the CIR order issued late on January 10 further clarifies our earlier victory and states, “The remote work status of the members of the bargaining unit involved in this case was not to be altered during the pendency of this case.” This latest order unequivocally demonstrates that by changing the remote work status of our members, the State of Nebraska is in violation of the CIR’s order. The order can be read here.

The State’s request for clarification sought to justify the actions some state agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Revenue, and the State Patrol took by telling all employees that their remote work status was being revoked in mid-January.

Should the State of Nebraska proceed to alter remote work assignments, as some agencies have announced they will do next week, the State will all but assuredly be found in contempt when we appear before the District Court of Lancaster County on January 19. We hope all agencies will immediately follow the CIR order, but we are preparing for any outcome.

Here is a timeline of what to expect so you can take action to protect your rights:

1. We will host a virtual meeting for union members on Thursday, January 11 at 7pm central. At the meeting, we will give an update on the legal proceedings and go over the steps members should take to protect their rights. Register for the meeting here.
2. If you cannot make the meeting, a recording will be made available on Friday, January 12 here. We will also send out the steps members can take by email. 
3. We still plan to appear in court on Friday, January 19 at 8:30am in Courtroom 34 of the Lancaster County Courthouse (575 S. 10th Street, Lincoln, 3rd Floor) to ask a judge to hold the State of Nebraska in contempt. The hearing is open to the public, and NAPE/AFSCME members are welcome to attend.

We know by standing united together to protect our rights, we will continue to see success. If you are not a union member, will you stand with us by becoming a union member today?