State employees union enters negotiation phase for next two-year contract

By Joan von Kampen | Editor-in-chief

By Erin Bamer

The Nebraska Association of Public Employees, known to many as NAPE/AFSCME, will begin contract negotiations Wednesday with state officials to set the terms of the next two-year labor contract, which runs from July 1, 2027-June 30, 2029.

Members said their top goal is to secure wage increases that keep up with inflation. NAPE Executive Director Justin Hubly said they are hoping to track wages with the Consumer Price Index, which he estimated would amount to about 3%-4% increases per year.

Last year, NAPE officials reached an agreement with Gov. Jim Pillen’s negotiators to provide raises between 6.5% and 19% over the next two years. Coming off that, along with the state’s continuing budget deficit, Hubly said meeting that goal would be challenging, though he’s optimistic.

By Cindy Gonzalez

Firefighters and rescue personnel in Nebraska’s capital city reportedly racked up $7.2 million in overtime pay last year, an amount Nebraska Auditor Mike Foley described as “staggering.”

Lincoln Fire Chief David Engler said his department has a responsibility to ensure reliable, around-the-clock emergency response while being a sound steward of taxpayer dollars. He said overtime is a “necessary part” of the operation. 

By Juan Salinas II

Among Nebraska politicians, only one Republican congressman and one candidate are confirmed to attend the first-ever GOP midterm convention in Texas.

By Zach Wendling

A district court judge dismissed all objections Tuesday to a last-minute legal effort seeking to disqualify a ballot measure that would cement sex-separate school sports requirements in the Nebraska Constitution.

Lancaster County District Court Judge Lori Maret ruled against Cara Ullman of Lincoln, who asserted that because the Fairness for Girls campaign lacked detail in some specific petition language, known as an “object statement,” she signed a petition to place the measure on the general election ballot without fully knowing what it would do.

By Juan Salinas II

Nebraska Supreme Court Justice Stephanie Stacy rejected a last-minute objection from the state’s Democratic Party to the Senate candidacy of Robin Richards, the chairwoman of the new Nebraska Working People Party. The Democratic Party had objected because Richards had been a Democratic write-in candidate for Legislative District 12 this spring. 

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