After years of AFSCME organizing, Gov. Steve Sisolak signed into law a historic bill granting 20,000 state workers the right to collectively bargain. The bill, which he signed June 12, is the largest expansion of collective bargaining rights for state workers anywhere in the U.S. in 16 years. 

The signing of SB 135 marks a massive win for working people both in our home state and across the country, with Nevada AFSCME members leading the growing wave of union momentum.  Now, with the right to negotiate, we can use our collective voice to negotiate a host of workplace issues, among them wages, paid leave and ways to improve safety on the job. 

Sisolak said state workers who work day in and day out to improve Nevada deserve respect. 

“For public sector service workers, the work they do every day for the Silver State isn’t merely a job. It’s a calling. It’s a career. At times, the work they do can go unrecognized, and often, it can be thankless. That’s just one reason signing this bill is so important,” the governor said at the signing ceremony. “It’s about respect for state workers and finally giving them the voice at the table they deserve, the seat at the table that has gone unfilled for so long.”

Harry Schiffman, electrician at UNLV and Local 4041 president said in a statement upon the bill becoming law, “This is a historic day for state employees and all Nevadans, as collective bargaining rights will mean a voice on the job to make meaningful changes in our workplaces and communities."

We thank SB135’s sponsor, state Sen. David Parks, and leaders in the Nevada Legislature for their support for Nevada state employees.