Our union negotiations team comprised of Daniel Buchanan (Corrections, Lincoln), Lindsey Eads (Veterans’ Affairs, Kearney), Melissa Haynes (DHHS, Fremont), Jimmy Kazalski (Corrections, Tecumseh), Rich Kerr (DHHS, Beatrice), Brian Koch (Corrections, Lincoln), Barb Pursley (Veterans’ Affairs, Scottsbluff) are excited to announce that they have reached a historic agreement with the State of Nebraska to increase wages […]
NAPE Steward Sarah Jane Teetzel works for the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission in Omaha. Starting in March of 2021, Sarah Jane went on leave for an unforeseen medical condition. Because of the unexpected leave of absence, Sarah Jane was a few cases short of reaching her quarterly case goal for January through March 2021 as […]
Mid-term contract negotiations with the State of Nebraska are underway to address wages and working conditions at 24-hour facilities at the Department of Corrections, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Our negotiations team is working hard to win equitable raises for NAPE members in order to recognize and retain employees. […]
On September 15, 2021, the Judiciary Committee of the Nebraska Legislature held a listening session in order to hear directly from Department of Corrections employees on the current staffing crisis in the Nebraska prison system. We encouraged our members to attend as they have experienced firsthand how the staffing shortages are affecting the facilities. NAPE […]
The key to any strong, effective union is our steward system. Stewards play an essential role in the day-to-day operations of unions around the world. In a word, stewards are the cornerstone of every union. At NAPE, we’re thankful to have over 100 stewards serving at the various State of Nebraska agencies. These state employees […]
Saint Francis Ministries, a Kansas-based non-profit, holds a contract to provide services for DHHS’s Division of Children and Family Services (CFS). NAPE believes this is not appropriate. The wellbeing and safety of young Nebraskans should be in the hands of employees of the State of Nebraska, not private-sector workers. Many of our DHHS members are […]
NAPE members are invited to attend a webinar on Tuesday, October 26 at 7pm central time to learn about your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how the ADA and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) interact when you have to miss work due to a qualifying disability. The webinar will last […]
Governor Ricketts and the State of Nebraska have agreed to enter into mid-term contract negotiations for the specific purpose of negotiating pay increases, overtime language, and other working condition language at 24 hour facilities. The State agreed to bargain with NAPE after concerns were raised regarding recent incentive bonuses offered to certain employees. The State […]
Our new NAPE contract provides requirements and guidelines for employee performance evaluations. This includes requiring evaluations adhere to a SMART goal format, and that the evaluation be based solely on the employee’s performance. Department of Administrative Services employee and NAPE member Brian Vanover’s evaluation did not comply with these contractual requirements, and he was denied […]
NAPE’s Biennial Delegate Assembly was held on August 13-15, 2021 at the Courtyard Marriott Lincoln Haymarket. Over 50 delegates attended and participated in conducting important NAPE business, workplace training sessions, and more! At the assembly, the delegates adopted changes to our bylaws, including allowing for virtual contract ratification meetings, changing the titles of Chairperson and […]
In July 2021, NAPE Member and Social Services Worker Terry Texidor-Battle was summoned to a performance counselling meeting with her supervisor. The meeting was held in her supervisor’s cubicle, which is nearby the cubicles of several other coworkers. After the meeting, Terry learned that a coworker had overheard part of the conversation between her and […]
NAPE member and Western Nebraska Veterans’ Home Registered Nurse Rachel Krul had her July 1, 2021 two-step pay increase withheld because she received an unsatisfactory performance evaluation for allegedly not meeting her 2020 SMART goals. Our new NAPE contract provides requirements and guidelines for employee performance evaluations. Included in the contract is language that requires […]
After the election of Melissa Haynes (DHHS, Fremont) as Chairperson and Brian Koch (Corrections, Lincoln) as Vice Chairperson of the NAPE Board of Directors, there are two vacant positions to be filled. The NAPE Board of Directors is the governing board of union members. The Board meets in Lincoln quarterly and by conference call as […]
On May 24, 2021, Governor Ricketts issued Executive Order 21-05, which ordered state code agencies to return to normal in-person operations immediately. This included directing state employees working from home to reduce workforce density due to the COVID-19 pandemic to return to offices in person. Many agencies revised their “Remote Work” policies in response to […]
Union members elected by their fellow union members as delegates convened in Lincoln from August 13-15 for the 2021 NAPE/AFSCME Biennial Delegate Assembly. One of the most important duties for delegates is to elect the five officers of NAPE/AFSCME Local 61. After a secret ballot election, the delegates elected new leaders. Melissa Haynes, a six-year […]
No state employee should ever be disciplined for an unavoidable accident. Alliance based NDOT NAPE member Nathan Payne was plowing snow during a late spring snow storm when his plow caught a pothole causing minor damage to the wing blade of his plow. Nathan immediately reported the incident to his supervisor, but was later served […]
NAPE Member Blayne Glissman works as an Environmental Quality Program Specialist II for the Department of Environment and Energy in Lincoln. In December 2020, Blayne was contacted by a reporter seeking photos and information about the AltEn Ethanol plant located near Mead, NE. Blayne told the reporter he could not help her, and directed her […]
Our NAPE contract allows the State of Nebraska to offer incentive bonuses to employees without having to negotiate over these payments. In late July, the State decided to offer sign-on and retention bonuses for certain job classifications at 24 hour facilities at the Department of Corrections, DHHS, and Veterans’ Affairs. Annual hiring and retention bonuses […]
NAPE represents approximately 180 support staff employees at the Nebraska State College System on its three campuses in Chadron, Peru, and Wayne. After years of stagnation and complacency, NAPE has been organizing the support staff in order to grow membership and win improved wages and working conditions through contract negotiations. The new State College contract […]
NAPE member Tracy Mischke works as a Drivers Licensing Examiner for the DMV in Omaha. In April 2021, Tracy was given a Notice of Allegations (NOA) that claimed she singled out another employee at work via email. However, the NOA did not contain any details or information on the allegations, including the date of the […]
