State workers seek 10 percent pay hike

Wednesday, May 6, 1998 | 11 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- While it's still a preliminary figure, state workers want a 10 percent pay increase next year.

About 90 delegates to the annual convention of the State of Nevada Employees Association voted last weekend to seek the salary hike from the 1999 Legislature.

Association Executive Director Bob Gagnier said Monday the law and legislative committee of the association will meet next weekend to set priorities which must then be approved by the board of directors.

Gagnier said the delegates based their position on comparisons of wages in local governments which are ahead of the state in most cases.

The convention also voted to seek a $350-a-month extra payment for correctional officers at the maximum security prison in Ely. Gagnier said the prison houses the most dangerous inmates in the system and officers must wear face and chest protectors to ward off human excrement tossed at them by inmates.

In addition, the cost of living in Ely, which at one time was reasonable, has risen more than most other areas of Nevada, according to Gagnier.

As a result, the turnover at the prison is 20 percent, or twice the state average, Gagnier said.

"It's impossible to keep staff," he said.

Gubernatorial candidates Kenny Guinn, a Republican, and North Las Vegan Sen. Joe Neal, a Democrat, spoke to the convention in Carson City.

Guinn said if elected he would consider the wage disparity between state and local government employees. He said state workers may be 18-22 percent behind in wages for similar jobs in cities, counties or school districts.

Guinn, however, did not make any commitment for a pay raise and he said he does not support collective bargaining for state employees, something that local governments have.

Neal, on the other hand, said he does support collective bargaining for state workers -- an issue that has been a top priority for the employees association which numbers about 4,400 members and is the biggest union of state workers.

While the state employees are initially looking at 10 percent pay increase request in 1999, the board of regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada will seek a 4 percent raise both in 1999 and 2000 for faculty.

Jim Richardson, a lobbyist for the Nevada Faculty Alliance, called it a "good request," adding it will move the salary levels of Nevada faculty up in comparison to similar schools.

"We will be quite competitive," he said.