Nevada 2015 Legislative Session

The

Nevada

2015

Legislative Session

Working Families under attack

The result of Nevada’s 2014 mid-term election has led to an Assembly and Senate that is now controlled by legislators that are not exactly labor friendly.  In fact I would say that working families in Nevada are under attack.

The Nevada Legislature is only in session for 120 days every other year.   This year the Nevada Legislature began the 78th Nevada Legislative session, February 2, 2015.  From day one of the session, it was very clear by the bills that were being introduced that for the next 120 days Labor lobbyist would be in the fight of their lives protecting working families. 

The assault on workers escalated when politicians who obviously do not support Nevada workers, rushed SB119 through committee at the very beginning of the session.  This bill would destroy prevailing wages.  The war on workers did not stop with trying to destroy prevailing wages, they have moved on with legislation that will negatively impact collective bargaining, strip heart lung and other benefits from public employees as soon as they retire, require public employee unions to submit detailed annual reports concerning the financials of the organization to the state, which would then be available to the public and the list goes on. 

I don’t see any relief in sight for Nevada workers as long as the legislature is in session, but what I do know is that we must all fight back.   This is not one unions fight or a fight that is left to someone else.  The elected officials who are introducing bills that harm workers, should be hearing not just from all the unions in Nevada, but from each and every worker in Nevada.  Again this is all of our fights.  I hope that if we have learned anything from the challenges that we are facing in Nevada, is that our participation in elections do matter. 

Now we take action and fight back.  I have attached several bills that have been introduced, with links that you can click to read the bill and links to click to get the committee the bill will be heard in along with the committee members contact information, to let them how you feel about legislation that harms Nevada Working Families.   

AB54

Revises provision relating to local government existing in a severe financial emergency – this bill will allow local governments to suspend collective bargaining agreements​ 

 https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Bills/AB/AB54.pdf 

Referred to Assembly Committee on Government Affairs:

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Committee/62/Overview

AB105

relating to the Public Employees' Retirement Board; increasing the membership of the Board; providing that the State Treasurer is ex officio a member of the Board; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Bills/AB/AB105.pdf 

Referred to Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Committee/47/Overview 

AB109

Requires an employee organization to prepare an annual report concerning the dues, expenditures, compensation, and other finances of the employee organization and makes it public information. 

​https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Bills/AB/AB109.pdf

Referred to Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor:

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Committee/47/Overview/

AB180

relating to the Public Employees' Retirement System; revising provisions governing the biennial audit of the System; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Bills/AB/AB180.pdf 

Referred to Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Committee/47/Overview 

AB182

Prohibiting a local government employer from entering into an agreement to pay dues to an employee organization through deductions from compensation; prohibiting such an employer from providing paid leave or paying compensation or benefits for time spent by an employee in providing services to an employee organization; prohibiting the inclusion of certain employees in a bargaining unit 

 https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Bills/AB/AB182.pdf

Referred to Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor:

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Committee/47/Overview/

​AB190

relating to public employees' retirement; providing for the establishment of a hybrid retirement program for certain public employees; requiring the program to include a defined benefit plan and a defined contribution plan

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Bills/AB/AB190.pdf

Referred to Assembly Committee on Government Affairs 

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Committee/62/Overview

​SB153

This bill strips benefits from our police, fire fighters, and emergency responders as soon as they retire after they have given years of service and exposed themselves to unknown amounts of chemicals, danger, sleep deprivation, and stress.

 ​https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Bills/SB/SB153.pdf

Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Labor and Energy:

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Committee/68/Overview

​​

SB158

relating to local governments; requiring the governing body of a local government to make certain information available to the public before the governing body meets to approve a collective bargaining agreement or similar agreemen 

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Bills/SB/SB158.pdf 

Referred to Senate Committee on Government Affairs 

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Committee/65/Overview 

SB168​  

This bill authorizes a local government to reopen a collective bargaining

Agreement during a fiscal emergency and sets forth the circumstances

under which the emergency is deemed to exist. 

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Bills/SB/SB168.pdf

Referred to Senate Committee on Government Affairs:

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Committee/65/Overview