AFSCME members fought for and won major investments in state workers this year at the bargaining table and the legislative session.
These victories are made possible because of the years-long effort to win collective bargaining rights, our robust political mobilization, relentless advocacy, and all of us coming together as a union to fight for better pay, working conditions and improved state services.
The following are AFSCME endorsed bills that were signed into law during the 2017 legislative session:
AB 517 (Assembly Ways and Means Committee): 2% raises for state employees in each year of the biennium, except for 5% raises in each year of the biennium for Corrections Officers and IT professionals. Passed both chambers and signed by Gov. Sandoval.
SB 368 (Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton, D-Clark): With literally 10 minutes left in the session, AFSCME ally and Assembly Ways and Means Chair Maggie Carlton (D-Clark) gutted an already-dead Senate bill and inserted language to provide an additional 1% for state employees in each of FY '18 and FY '19, raising the total pay restoration package to 3% in FY '18 and 3% in FY '19. The Chairwoman had found money late and protected it for state employees, and was able to work with Senate Finance Chair Joyce Woodhouse and leadership in both chambers to get it through quickly. In the end, nearly $90 million of the biennium's new money was allocated for state employees, and the total raise of just over 6% is slightly more than double the amount of raises in the last eight years combined.
SB 551 (Senate Finance Committee): New state contributions to Public Employees Benefits Program Office. This bill provides an additional state contribution of $1,000 per employee over the biennium for benefits. Passed Assembly and Senate, and signed by Gov. Sandoval.
SB 552 (Senate Finance Committee): Retiree health "orphan" bailout. A group of hundreds of retirees, including some AFSCME retirees, has fallen through the cracks of different plans and was going to face catastrophically high premiums without this fix. Passed Assembly and Senate, and signed by Gov. Sandoval.
SB 546 (Senate Finance Committee): Capital improvements bill, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in general fund and bonding money for life-saving infrastructure for corrections (door locks, distress buttons, control panels) and funding for the Northern Nevada Veterans' Home, DMV, and improvements to many state facilities where AFSCME members work. Passed Assembly and Senate with strong bipartisan margins, and signed by Gov. Sandoval.
Privatization in budget: One of the biggest victories in the budget was defeating Gov. Sandoval's plan to privatize 17 positions in DHHS's Child Support Enforcement Division. Eight of the positions are currently filled by AFSCME-eligible workers, and while the plan called for no layoffs, defeating the privatization avoided significant disruption in workers' lives, saved potential bargaining unit positions, and avoided a bad precedent for all state employees. Gov. Sandoval signed the DHHS budget with no privatization.
SB 487 (Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development): Enacts the recreational marijuana tax of 10%, providing $70 million recurring for the state's rainy day fund. Passed Assembly and Senate and signed by Gov. Sandoval. While not directly funding state employees, having an extra recurring revenue stream for reserves helps future state funding.
SB 478 (Sen. Joyce Woodhouse, D-Clark and Senate Government Affairs Committee): Investigations bill. Passed both chambers and was signed by Gov. Sandoval on June 13th. This bill requires the state to notify employees within 30 days of the state knowing about an alleged occurrence of improper activity (or within 30 days of when the state reasonably should have known of the improper activity). It also requires dismissal of any case if the state does not complete its investigation within 90 days (or 150 days if extended, unless investigation is indefinitely exempted from deadline by governor). It's a major win for state employee due process and will significantly improve our ability to defend our members' workplace rights. AFSCME and for our Future generated calls for Gov. Sandoval to sign SB 478.
AB 1 (Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton, D-Clark): Free college for children of any state employee killed in the course of work. Signed by Gov. Sandoval. Hopefully we never need this, but it's an important bill in the event that tragedy strikes one of our members. It also sends a message about how much all state employees are valued, not just deserving public safety workers.
SB 502 (Senate Government Affairs Committee): Adds classified employees to the Public Employee Benefits Program Board. Passed Assembly and Senate, signed by Gov. Sandoval.
AFSCME resolutions enacted without signature:
SCR 6 (Senate Finance Committee): Unclassified state employee compensation study. Passed on last day of session. While most AFSCME members are classified, we have some who are not, and any comp studies can be potentially helpful to future negotiations and/or lobbying for higher base salaries. Enacted without Gov. Sandoval signature because it's a resolution.
SJR 10 (Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Clark): Rescission of prior Constitutional Convention calls. Passed Assembly and Senate with unanimous, bipartisan support. Enacted without Gov. Sandoval signature because it's a resolution.
AFSCME legislation approved but not yet effective:
SJR 6 (Sen. Yvanna Cancela, D-Clark): Constitutional minimum wage increase to be voted on by citizens, raising it to $15/hour by 2025 with no tipped credit. The legislature would be permitted to raise the minimum wage higher than the cons
SJR 6 passed the Assembly in the last few minutes of the session, although it needs further approval in the 2019 session. If approved by the legislature in 2019, it will be on the 2020 ballot, giving Nevada voters a terrific incentive to vote in 2020 and, if it passes, putting millions of dollars in the pockets of hard-working Nevadans.
