Labor Rights and Unions
I come from a union family. My father’s family got access to health insurance growing up because my grandmother was a member of Culinary Union Local 226. In my own household, both my parents were union CCSD educators. I was a proud member of the first unionized presidential campaign, the 2020 campaign for Bernie Sanders. The collective power of unions can put money back in people’s pockets, make workplaces safer, and help working people build a better future for themselves. In fact, the teacher’s union is responsible for my mother and many of her colleagues getting their pay raises reinstated several years ago.
The importance of unions is tantamount in an era of political dysfunction. Unions can win even when politicians fail. The ability to collectively bargain and strike allows workers to do things like raise their wages without an act of the legislature, which is still fighting for a $15 minimum wage, a rate that is no longer considered livable in this economy.
Policy Priorities:
Legalize striking for all public employees and teachers: While the teachers were able to successfully lobby Governor Lombardo to sign SB 161 into law– which carved out new protections for educators from being charged with illegal striking for certain pickets/demonstrations as well as expedited the contract negotiation timeline–this cannot be the end of the fight. We need labor organizing protections for all educational professionals, like support staff and administrators. We also need to think about the thousands of public servants who dedicate their careers to serving Nevada’s communities; they deserve to advocate for fair pay just as much as anybody else.
End Nevada’s status as an “Open-Shop” state (AKA a “right to work” state): Unions are required to represent all workers, regardless of whether they are a dues-paying member of the union or not. “Right to Work” laws force unions to work on behalf of workers who choose not to pay dues and prohibits unions from being able to collect fees for this work. This weakens the ability of labor organizations to advocate for the wins we need, tilting the power further into the hands of wealthy, corporate bosses. Workers in RTW states, for example, make over $8,000 less than workers in non-RTW states. It’s time for this to end in Nevada.
End Anti-union tactics such as captive audience meetings: Bosses profit from squashing unionization efforts. Therefore, they will use every trick in the book to break up worker power. We need to level the playing field by removing some of the cards from their hands. The NLRB banned the practice of captive audience meetings under the Biden Administration for example. However, we can’t always rely on the federal government to enforce or keep such rules, so we can empower workers by legalizing the ban on a state level.
Support Project Labor Agreements (PLAs): PLAs protect workers and ensure projects maintain their budgets and timelines. They are essential as we look to revitalize infrastructure in our state, creating a stable pathway for jobs and resilient communities.
From the 83rd Legislative Session →SB 172: This bill sponsored by Senator Flores, would create an Agricultural Workers’ Bill of Rights, removing exemptions from Nevada’s overtime and minimum wage laws for these workers. Additionally, the bill would require rest periods, prohibit “stoop labor”, mandate human housing conditions, enforce health and safety information be provided in multiple languages, and legalize collective bargaining for agricultural workers.
From the 83rd Legislative Session →AB 191: This bill sponsored by assembly member Anderson, would have expanded collective bargaining rights to state-employed professional employees, most of which work in higher education. This bill would have a great impact on student employees like graduate assistants, who have begun a unionization process already.
From the 83rd Legislative Session →AB 414: This bill sponsored by assembly member Moore, would have created new safety measures in workplaces, notably air quality control requirements. This bill passed but was vetoed by Governor Lombardo.
