In April 2021, Department of Labor Unemployment Adjudicators and NAPE members Mary Pat Bloom, Melissa Love, and George Green were involuntarily transferred from one work unit to another by the Department of Labor. The transfer changed the work unit they reported to and the type of work they performed. None of our members volunteered for […]

In July, our new Step Pay Plan took effect and established a 40 step pay scale for each job classification. Employees that were rated satisfactory were all entitled to a two step increase on their respective pay scale. Unfortunately, some employees who had their initial probation extended by DHHS due to promotion were denied their […]

The NAPE/AFSCME Board of Directors held its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting in Lincoln on November 13. The Board of Directors is comprised of 5 officers elected by the delegates to the biennial Delegate Assembly each odd numbered year and 20 representatives elected by the membership each odd numbered year.  At its November meeting, the Board […]

NAPE Member Vicky Amos is a Registered Nurse that works part-time at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. Since early 2021, Vicky noticed that each time there is a paid state holiday, vacation leave is deducted from her accruals without her request or approval. When Vicky reached out to Human Resources about the issue, they had […]

NAPE Member Maureen Scanlon is a Licenced Practical Nurse at the Western Nebraska Veterans’ Home in Scottsbluff. In September, Maureen was unfortunately physically assaulted by one of the Veterans’ Home residents. The attack resulted in serious injuries and Maureen was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Upon her recovery from the attack, Maureen sent […]

Longtime DHHS NAPE Steward Nancy Gamboa has represented fellow employees in Scottsbluff and other parts of the Nebraska Panhandle for over 25 years. Over the summer, Nancy filed a grievance on behalf of a NAPE member, and then received a message from a DHHS Administrator that directed her not to seek out information from fellow […]

For the first time since the State Employees Collective Bargaining Act was passed in 1987, the State of Nebraska agreed to enter mid-term bargaining with NAPE/AFSCME to negotiate wages and working conditions at state operated 24 hour facilities at the Department of Correctional Services, Department of Health & Human Services, and the Department of Veterans’ […]

NAPE Member Veronica DeBlieck is a Social Services Worker at the DHHS Scottsbluff Customer Service Center. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, SSW’s have been assigned mandatory overtime to process the influx of requests for economic assistance. This winter, the mandatory overtime assignments were lifted, and instead, employees were allowed to volunteer for overtime. Looking forward to […]

This July, the Metro West DMV planned to install a new driver’s licensing system over a weekend. During the workday on the Friday before the installation was planned, DMV supervisors offered one employee the opportunity to help with the installation and work overtime hours. Our NAPE contract provides a negotiated process that must be followed […]

NAPE/AFSCME opened a new downtown Lincoln Headquarters on November 1, 2021! Our new headquarters is located at 1230 O Street (Suite 120) in the Commerce Court Building, which is attached to the Wells Fargo Center in the heart of Lincoln.  The Board of Directors voted to move to our new location in order to have […]

NAPE will host a webinar for all state employees covered by the NAPE contract on Wednesday, November 10 from 7-8pm central time to answer your questions about recent mid-term contract changes. Topics will include the negotiations process, how wage increases were bargained, wage increases, differentials, overtime, paternity, and more. To participate, please register in advance […]

In a show of solidarity, NAPE/AFSCME members will join striking Kellogg’s employees on their picket line in Omaha on Sunday, November 7 from 2-4pm. NAPE members are encouraged to wear green as we join in solidarity to show support of striking BCTGM union workers. The picket line is located at 9601 F Street, Omaha. Please […]

NAPE members who work in support staff classifications at Chadron, Peru, and Wayne State Colleges have been organizing and pushing to open mid-term contract negotiations with the State College System to negotiate higher wages. With the recent historic mid-term contract agreement reached between the State of Nebraska and NAPE/AFSCME, NAPE members at the State College […]

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 […]