State of Nebraska Contract Reaches Tentative Agreement

[Omaha Steve]

https://napeafscme.org/2025/01/08/state-of-nebraska-contract-reaches-tentative-agreement/

January 8, 2025

After four months of negotiations, our negotiations team has reached a tentative contract agreement with the State of Nebraska on a contract to run from July 1, 2025-June 30, 2027. Union members must now vote at a ratification meeting to accept or reject the tentative agreement.

Ratification meetings will take place around the state (in person and virtually) from January 13-23, 2025. For a full schedule of meetings, please click here. Ratification meetings are only open to NAPE/AFSCME members, however, any bargaining unit employee who joins the union prior to a ratification meeting is welcome to attend and vote. A simple majority of those voting in each bargaining unit will determine whether the tentative agreement becomes final.

At the ratification meetings, full details of the tentative agreement will be shared with union members and all questions will be answered prior to voting. Members will cast their ballot on paper at the in person meetings and digitally at virtual meetings.

Full details of the tentative agreement will be shared at the ratification meetings. After union members vote at ratification meetings, details will be released publicly. Highlights are as follows:

Salary increases over two years between 6.5%-19% based on job classification with a satisfactory annual performance evaluation
Minimum contract wage of $15/hour
Paid maternity leave
Multilingual premium pay
Sick leave can be donated across agencies for catastrophic illness instead of just vacation leave within an agency
E bargaining unit vacation and sick leave equal to other units
Higher NDOT and State Patrol overnight shift differential
Commercial Drivers License (CDL) premium pay for certain NDOT employees
CDL trainer premium pay for NDOT
Direct care shift differentials when working out of class

The negotiations team looks forward to sharing the full details at our ratification meetings. The negotiations team is bringing what it feels is the best offer we could reach with the governor’s team prior to the statuatory deadline. Now it’s up to union members to vote to accept or reject the tentative agreement. Please exercise your right as a union member and vote! Not a member? Join us today!