Nevada Department of Corrections, union agreement returns officers to modified shift, post and annual leave bidding
CARSON CITY — The Nevada Department of Corrections and AFSCME Local 4041 announce an agreement to temporarily return to a modified shift, post and annual leave bidding process for custody staff within the Department.
This agreement will allow the Department to hold a bid for officers to request their desired shift, post, and annual leave, while allowing flexibility for the Department to ask them to perform other tasks and duties outside of their assigned post to ensure safety, security, and efficiency within the institutions.
“Giving officers greater control over their schedules and posts will improve conditions all around,” said Acting Director William Gittere. “This will be a shot in the arm for morale for officers and their families. Better morale at the beginning at the new shift bid will also mean less complacency and improved duty performance. That means more secure institutions and safer operations.”
“We are pleased with the agreement to hold a shift, post, and annual leave bid for correctional officers and believe it will alleviate some of the pressures on officers’ time and wellbeing,” said Harry Schiffman, President of AFSCME Local 4041.
“Having a voice on the job means having a direct impact on our working conditions, improving safety for workers and the security of the prisons. There are still many issues that impact the safety and wellbeing of corrections staff that need to be addressed, but we appreciate NDOC and the State of Nevada working with AFSCME, the exclusive representative for Unit I, to find solutions that will ultimately improve staff retention and recruitment,” Schiffman said.
The bid will take place in early December and go into effect on Jan. 9, 2023.
Shift/Post/Leave bids were put on hold earlier this year as AFSCME and NDOC await a decision from the Employee Management Relations Board over whether post bidding is a mandatory subject of bargaining. NDOC has stipulated that it is required to bargain shift and annual leave bidding.