Since November 2023, our union has been fighting to protect our members’ rights to bargain the terms and conditions of their employment. Union members have been defending their right to negotiate changes to their working conditions after Governor Pillen attempted to unilaterally terminate remote work options for State of Nebraska employees. Our union filed a prohibited practices petition alleging that the State of Nebraska violated state law by refusing to negotiate over the Executive Order.
Today, the Nebraska Commission on Industrial Relations (CIR) ruled that management can assign work locations, and therefore, there is no duty for the State to bargain over “remote work.” We completely disagree with this decision. You can read a copy of the decision here.
Further, the CIR made a finding that our union pursued this action in bad faith, and has ordered NAPE/AFSCME to pay the State of Nebraska’s legal fees. The CIR’s decision that our petition was filed in bad faith to delay the implementation of the Governor’s Executive Order and to grow union membership is simply wrong.
Our union members will always stand up for their rights. We will not be intimidated from exercising our rights by a commission appointed by the Governor. We are evaluating an appeal to the Nebraska Supreme Court. We will have additional information in the coming weeks.
Union members are invited to a virtual meeting on Monday, July 15 at 7pm central/6pm mountain to discuss what the decision means for our members and next steps. To register for the meeting, please click here.
Our fight to protect remote work is essential to preserve public employees’ legal right to collectively bargain the terms and conditions of their employment. This decision will not deter us from standing up for our rights.
If you’re not yet a member of our union, it’s more important than ever for you to join us today. Even if you’re not affected by remote work, your right to bargain for better wages and working conditions is at stake. Don’t sit on the sidelines while your fellow colleagues who are NAPE/AFSCME members fight on your behalf. Stand with us to protect our rights today!
