Starting July 1, 2021, State of Nebraska employees will begin working under a new contract negotiated by NAPE. With the new contract in place, a number of exciting changes will be coming your way. NAPE will be hosting a number of meetings across the state of Nebraska throughout the month of June and July to […]
Developmental Disabilities Service Coordinator, and NAPE member, Kedrick Ford was disciplined with a two-day suspension and six-month disciplinary probation by the Department of Health and Human Services based on allegations of inappropriate behavior in the workplace. Kedrick denied the allegations from the start and reached out to NAPE for help right away. NAPE steward Ashlie […]
Chemical Dependency Treatment Specialist, and NAPE member, Jackeline Sproul was terminated by the Department of Correctional Services for allegedly having unauthorized contact with an inmate. As a NAPE member, Jacky had access to our professional staff who represented her every step of the way as she challenged the disciplinary action. In late 2020, at her […]
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 have recently revised their “Remote Work” policies in […]
In April, three NAPE members brought forward concerns relating to the assignment of overtime at the Beatrice State Developmental Center (BSDC). At the facility, the agency was inappropriately assigning overtime in two ways. BSDC was not soliciting volunteers before assigning over time, and the management was maintaining two separate overtime rosters. These are both contract […]
In February 2020, NAPE won a case in binding arbitration after a grievance was filed challenging the unilateral changes to employee’s dress code requiring certain employees to wear business casual clothing. In late 2020, DHHS filed a lawsuit attempting to overturn the Arbitrator’s binding decision. In our response, NAPE’s attorney briefly set forth our argument […]
In March, All NAPE members had the chance to vote to elect fellow members to the NAPE Board of Directors for the 2021-2023 term. Since no candidate received a majority of votes for Western Area Representative or the third At-Large Representative, a runoff election for those two seats was held in May. The runoff results […]
NAPE members who work at 24 hour facilities can be assigned mandatory overtime shifts, however, management must assign overtime in accordance with our negotiated contract. At the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (NDVA), our contract requires that management assign overtime to the employee who is on duty on the shift immediately prior to the overtime assignment […]
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 […]
When state employees transfer from one agency to another, they may be required to serve an initial probationary period. Our NAPE contract requires the agency to inform transfer employees before they take the position if they will be required to serve a new initial probationary period. This is important so employees can decide if they […]
Have you ever felt bullied or harassed in the workplace? Have you witnessed workplace harassment and not known what to do? Do you have a difficult supervisor? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” join us for our May Members Only Webinars where we explore your rights and provide practical advice on […]
In April, the Nebraska Legislature appointed nine Senators to the Eastern Service Area Child Child Welfare Contract Special Investigative and Oversight Committee to investigate the way in which DHHS signed a contract with St. Francis Ministries of Kansas to manage ongoing child welfare services in Douglas and Sarpy County. St. Francis Ministries submitted a bid […]
When the Central Nebraska Veterans’ Home relocated from Grand Island to Kearney in January 2019, employees were offered a $10,000 incentive bonus, to be paid in equal installments, if they continued working in Kearney for the next two years. In October 2020, the Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs stopped making installment payments to over 100 […]
In March, all NAPE members had the chance to vote to elect fellow members to the NAPE Board of Directors for the 2021-2023 term. The results are in, and the Election Committee is pleased to announce that the NAPE members below have been elected to the Board of Directors. No candidate received a majority of […]
Did you know our NAPE contract includes a procedure for salary changes due to promotion? When employees are promoted, they are not necessarily moved to the minimum salary of the new classification. Our contract guarantees that employees will receive either the minimum salary of the new classification, or between a 5-10% increase to their current […]
Did you know that NAPE members cannot be forced to forfeit your vacation leave? As an earned benefit under our NAPE contract, it is the state’s responsibility to provide you with a reasonable opportunity to use your accumulated vacation leave. However, if an employee has over 280 hours of vacation time, the excess will be […]
After negotiating for more than a year, NAPE/AFSCME has reached a tentative agreement with Richardson County on a new contract for our members at the Richardson County Roads Department. NAPE members rejected the county’s final offer and declared impasse in late 2020. NAPE members were unwilling to accept a contract that did not have a […]
Nominations are now open to serve as delegates to the Biennial NAPE/AFSCME Local 61 Delegate Assembly. The Delegate Assembly is the highest decision making body of the union, and meets in person every other year. The elected delegates are responsible for setting policy goals, adopting resolutions, adopting changes to the bylaws, setting dues, and electing […]
Throughout 2021, NAPE is offering a 45 minute monthly webinar for its members. The webinars are designed to teach members about our contract and rights in the workplace, with a new topic introduced each month. Members can click below to register for a webinar below. Webinars are only open to NAPE members. Not a NAPE […]
Did you know being a NAPE member comes with a number of exclusive benefits? As an affiliate union of AFSCME, all NAPE members have access to the AFSCME Advantage program. Part of AFSCME Advantage includes the AFSCME Free College Program which has recently been expanded to permanently include a free bachelor’s degree program! AFSCME Bachelor’s […]
