DHHS Dress Code Denied by Agency – Appeal FiledLate Friday, NAPE received a step 1 response to our grievance filed regarding the new DHHS dress code. DHHS has denied our grievance in its entirety. DHHS argues that we have waived our right to bargain in Article 3 of the contract, and the policy is reasonable […]
Click here to take the survey! All State of Nebraska employees are encouraged to take our 2020 Contract Negotiations Survey. Give us your feedback on what is most important to you. The survey will be open through January 31. Click here to take the survey!
It is with a heavy heart that we share news that NAPE member Sue Strnad passed away on December 19, 2019 at the age of 61. Sue was terminated by DHHS, despite having 3,000+ sick leave hours, as she bravely fought cancer. While Sue lost her battle with cancer, she won reinstatement to her job […]
When management makes a decision that violates our negotiated contract, our recourse is to enforce the contract through the grievance process. A huge benefit of union membership is having our stewards, staff and legal team fight for you free of charge. Your dues support individual grievances that have an impact on all members. NAPE filed […]
Dory Howell is a seven-year veteran Social Service Worker at the ACCESSNebraska Fremont Customer Service Center. Like many DHHS employees, she was frustrated when DHHS announced its new dress code policy. The changes will cost Dory money that she doesn’t have, they will require her to obtain an ADA accommodation to wear comfortable shoes, and […]
The NAPE contract clearly allows state employees to use earned sick leave for any diagnosed illness. It came as a shock to 42 year veteran DHHS DD Service Coordinator Sue Strnad when the agency terminated her employment after she was diagnosed with cancer despite having over 3,000 hours of earned sick leave available for her […]
State employees from Chadron to Falls City, Omaha to Scottsbluff, and everywhere in between attended town hall meetings to share their ideas for our next contract, to learn more about the negotiations process, and to learn about NAPE’s “Join, Serve, Lead” campaign to fight for better wages and working conditions. State employees universally agreed that […]
The NAPE Board of Directors held their quarterly meeting in Lincoln on November 9. Board of Directors meetings are open to all union members. The next meeting will take place on Saturday, February 29, 2020 from 9am-2pm in Lincoln at the HyVee Club Room at 84th & Holdrege. The Board took the following actions at […]
All NAPE members have a complimentary $4,000 life insurance policy as a membership benefit administered by American Income Life Insurance. Members will receive a letter from AIL in the coming months explaining the benefit. There is no need to take any action to receive coverage, but do let your family members know about the benefit […]
Every two years the NAPE Board of Directors determines the number of union members that will be elected to the NAPE bargaining conference, the dates/location of the conference, and the nomination/election timeline. The bargaining conference is the official meeting of the union where elected member delegates determine what items will be placed into our contract […]
Article 2, Section 3.D of the NAPE Bylaws state that the maximum amount of NAPE dues will be adjusted upward each January by the percentage increase in AFSCME minimum dues rate. The NAPE dues rate will remain the same at 1.25% of the members base salary, however, the maximum cap currently at $45/month will be […]
NAPE Stewards are union members like you that have been trained to advocate, represent, and assist employees. 40 NAPE stewards attended a development seminar in Omaha in October to freshen their skills in representing members. If you think that a manager has misapplied the contract or has mistreated you, be sure to alert your steward. […]
NAPE members are also members of AFSCME (The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union). The AFSCME Free College Program gives access to a free associate’s degree to all NAPE members and their families (including children and siblings). The program is through Eastern Gateway Community College and classes are taken online. For more […]
As long as state government is open, employees are expected to report to work. Each agency has a serve weather policy, and you should consult that policy when making decisions. Agencies are advised by DAS Employee Relations to be as flexible as possible regarding severe weather. If you do not feel safe driving or otherwise […]
Lead Social Service Worker Mary Schwanke has worked for DHHS for the past 8 years and works at the Fremont Customer Service Center. She requested to use her sick leave to visit her doctor, but her request was denied because DHHS had not “released” her sick leave for use that she earned in the previous […]
The Delegate Assembly kicked off on Friday, August 23 with a meeting for younger and newer NAPE members called NAPE’s Next Wave. Over twenty young NAPE members attended and we discussed ways that we will involve and recruit new younger members to our union. The Delegates then had a welcome reception at the Cornhusker Marriott […]
NAPE members at the Fremont Customer Service Center volunteered to work overtime hours to help Nebraskans recover from epic flooding this spring. The workers showed up to work on time, but the supervisor did not show up until 80 minutes later to unlock the building. DHHS told the workers they would not be paid for […]