NPU Family,
I hope everyone is doing well. So much to unpack since the last newsletter. I’ll address the difficult issue first. What happened on September 10th was absolutely tragic. The senseless killing of Charlie Kirk has changed many of our perspectives and views about the current climate regarding politics. NPU absolutely CONDEMNS all acts of violence for any reason. Charlie Kirk’s murder has personally changed me and my faith. From my perspective, a 31-year-old husband and father was taken from this earth, not because he was expressing his conservative views, but because he was exercising his constitutional right. This is a very sad time for us as a nation, and I strongly urge our entire NPU family to take a breath, especially before you say or post something on social media. I’m not a very religious person, but I have a strong faith in something far greater than each of us individually …..I’ll leave it right there. Rest well Charlie Kirk.
A few CBA issues to update you on. NPU has current grievances on the following issues:
- Bilingual Pay: the issue of members not being reimbursed for their bilingual skills should be resolved soon with a compromise between NPU and the State being reached.
- Task Force Pay: There are a few details that are being worked on, and this grievance should be resolved soon.
- Personal Leave Day: the issue of the State not recognizing Unit G should be entitled to another personal leave day in the 2024 Fiscal Year per the CBA. The issue most likely will end up going to mediation and arbitration where a neutral party will decide if a solution cannot be reached between us and the State.
- Education Pay: although this is not a grievance yet, the state is very slow getting employees paid for their degrees. The CBA states that we should be paid in “July”; however, the state is still figuring things out. NPU has been in contact with the Labor Relations Unit and should have this resolved quickly….I hope. Many of you have heard me use the term, “it’s moving at the pace of Nevada State government!”
NPU will be holding its annual Fall Executive Board meeting on Oct 15th and 16th. Our agenda is packed with important topics such as upcoming negotiations (starting in April 2026), NPU budget, NPU elections, vendors/partners, membership benefits, website/phone app, and much, much more.
With that said, I need to address the future of NPU leadership. As many of you know, I am eligible to retire next February. “Eligible” does NOT necessarily mean I will retire. I have been in this profession since 1998 and consider myself very fortunate to have done and accomplish so much. As I have heard numerous rumors, I am retiring soon, or I have been offered jobs elsewhere. These are just that….rumors. My promise is this…I will not leave my position as your NPU President until a good succession plan is in place. My intention is to lead at least one more CBA negotiation and represent NPU in at least one more Legislative session. That is my goal! I absolutely love serving as your President. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a time-consuming position, but has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional career. Most of you know, and have taken advantage of, the fact that I am available for calls, texts and most importantly, conversations. Many of you have reached out for advice, information or counseling/guidance. I may not always give you the answers you want, but I’m honest and transparent. I believe most of you appreciate the fact I rarely sugarcoat anything and give you the straight answers…good, bad or indifferent.
However, with that said, while we have tremendously great people that sit on our current board, it is simply not enough to keep the momentum going. We need more members to get involved, especially those that are newer in their careers. For those that have 5-10 years on the job, you are the pivotal members that should be stepping up to serve. You have the most at stake and will have the greatest impact for future CBAs. We are only on our third CBA (first for Unit L – Supervisors) and have so much more to accomplish in our future CBAs. I hear a lot about what other law enforcement agencies across Nevada have in the CBAs, one key aspect that many forget is those agencies have had bargaining rights for many years, and their original contracts started similar to ours. It is an uphill battle, but one that NPU is taking head on.
I urge members to reach out to the current NPU board if you have even been remotely interested in getting more involved. Start off small. Become a Union Steward/Rep. The importance of representing someone in a time of need can’t be overstated. It’s the most important aspect of what we do. Help on one of our committees. Find a niche that you feel needs to be filled. Something. We have “union leave” in our contract so you won’t have to burn any of your personal leave/annual leave/comp time. The future of NPU rests on our membership’s shoulders.
I’d like to get back to the topic of politics. I have had numerous conversations with members over the last few years about NPU’s political involvement. This is a huge part of what we do. However, one of the questions that has come up on more than one occasion is why does NPU not put our political endorsements out for the membership to vote on? A great question and a legitimate one as well. The answer is simple, and difficult at the same time. Our political endorsements are done to serve the best interests of NPU and its membership. It is not in any way a recommendation for how you should personally vote. I am not aware of any Law Enforcement Union or Association that puts political endorsements out for membership vote. There are several reasons for this. The most common reason is that most law enforcement stand on one side of the political aisle. If the vote went out to the membership, the endorsement would most likely go to a candidate from that political party. If that candidate lost the election, the party candidate that won would most likely hold a grudge against the Union/Association that did not support them. That would make it very difficult to get anything done or accomplished for the Union. Simply endorsing one political party is detrimental to progress when it comes to the Legislative session.
One example is the Board of Examiners in Nevada (BOE) is comprised of the Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State, three elected representatives. Traditionally, Republicans have not been in favor of Unions or CBAs. If there were two Republicans sitting on the BOE, most likely the CBAs would get two “NO” votes and our contract would not pass. That creates a HUGE problem for us moving forward. Currently, NPU endorsed two of the three elected representatives that sit on the BOE; specifically, Governor Lombardo (R) and Secretary of State Aguilar (D).
If you want to go further, the large raises received during the 2023 Legislative session were backed by one party and voted “NO” by all in the other party. Politics is a tricky game. This is why your elected board members do what we do. Again, the endorsement are done by what is in the best interest of the entire membership, not for personal interests.
One of the best political steps for NPU over the last two years has been joining the Public Safety Alliance of Nevada (PSAN) Committee. PSAN is comprised of the largest Law Enforcement Unions/Associations in Nevada and as a group have the best interest for Nevada law enforcement and NPU in mind. The committee has an interview and vetting process it completes before providing an endorsement to any political candidate. If anyone needs further information or explanation, do not hesitate to reach out to me.
Lastly, I would like to give you the tentative game plan for the next year. If you aren’t familiar with the recent change in the law regarding collective bargaining, AB356 will allow us to start the process in April 2026 which allows for the negotiation of compensation earlier so that it can be submitted to the Legislature as part of the Governor’s recommended budget. We will be able to get through the whole process of negotiation, mediation/arbitration (if needed) and BOE before the Governor builds and submits his budget. This alleviates sooooo many of our issues when it comes to compensation. So, we will begin the process in April 2026 or near that date to take advantage of the new law.
As always, please feel free to contact me via call, email, text or conversation, and again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your President. I still have so much I want to accomplish for NPU.
Dan
