Nevada state workers held a rally in front of the Legislative Building in Carson City, Nev., on Wednesday afternoon, Mar. 12, 2003. The group is pushing for improved health insurance, collective bargaining and other benefits. (AP Photo/Nevada Appeal, Cathleen Allison)
About 60 state employees rallied outside the Nevada Legislature on Wednesday to show support for collective-bargaining rights and better health care benefits.
The employees and some of their family members spent about a half hour picketing, carrying signs and chanting, and then held a rally to stress their concerns.
At the top of the list, according to Ralph Papp, a Nevada State Prison guard and part of the State of Nevada Employees Association leadership, are collective-bargaining rights.
State workers were to be given such rights through the 1991 Legislature, only to see then-Gov. Bob Miller veto the legislation.
Papp said the association would accept collective-bargaining rights for non-economic issues only. He said state employees shouldn't have to go to court to resolve disputes over issues such as scheduling.
"We need to get collective bargaining because our say is just not good enough," Papp said.
Papp also said his health-care benefits have decreased since he became a association member 15 years ago. He said his deductions keep increasing, his co-payment has increased to 50 percent of cost and the program has a limited prescription drug program.
Scott McKenzie, the worker association's executive director, said the union, which represents about 3,600 current and former state workers, is simply looking for what every other county and municipal employee already have.
"There's nobody to go to and say, 'Can we be reasonable about this?"' McKenzie said.
McKenzie also said rallying at the Legislature is important because AB65, a measure authorizing collective bargaining for state employees, recently was passed by the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee and could soon come up for a full Assembly vote.
In recent legislative sessions, the Assembly has been open to the idea of collective bargaining rights for state employees, while the state Senate has rejected the idea.
State workers scheduled a similar rally Wednesday at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas.