Nevada Legislature: No action on collective bargaining changes

Union officials say they’re wary of attempts in the Nevada Legislature to make local government collective bargaining agreements more flexible in financial emergencies.

Members of the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee held hearings Friday on two measures seeking to change collective bargaining.

SB158 would require local governments to publish proposed collectively bargained agreements three days before being taken up for approval. The measure passed out of the Senate on a 19-1 vote.

Senators were more divided over SB168, which passed on a party-line 11-8 vote. The measure allows local governments to renegotiate union contracts if revenue drops more than five percent in a year, and to fence off a quarter of budgeted spending from union negotiations. The bill wouldn’t affect school districts.

The committee took no action on the bills.