Existing law authorizes certain groups of employees in the classified service of the Executive Department of the State Government to engage in collective bargaining with the Executive Department concerning wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment for such employees. (NRS 288.400-288.630) In general, a collective bargaining agreement for such a group of employees must begin on July 1 of an odd-numbered year and must end on June 30 of the next odd-numbered year. (NRS 288.550) Existing law requires the Governor to designate a representative to conduct negotiations concerning collective bargaining agreements on behalf of the Executive Department and requires negotiations between the representative of the Executive Department and the exclusive representative of a bargaining unit to begin within 60 days after one party notifies the other party of the desire to negotiate or November 1 of each even-numbered year, whichever is earlier. (NRS 288.565) Section 1 of this bill requires such negotiations to begin on or before October 1, rather than November 1, of each even-numbered year. Existing law authorizes either the representative of the Executive Department or the exclusive representative of a bargaining unit to request a mediator if the parties do not reach a collective bargaining agreement within 120 days after beginning negotiations or February 1 of an odd-numbered year, whichever is earlier, unless the parties agree on a later date. (NRS 288.570) Section 1 requires the representative of the Executive Department and the exclusive representative of a bargaining unit, before engaging in collective bargaining, to: (1) select a mediator and an arbitrator for the purposes of potential mediation and arbitration; and (2) to the extent possible, determine and reserve with the mediator and arbitrator selected by the parties the calendar days when such mediation and arbitration would occur should the parties not reach a collective bargaining agreement. If the representative of the Executive Department and the exclusive representative of a bargaining unit do not reach a collective bargaining agreement through mediation within 21 days after the appointment of a mediator, mediation is required to cease and the parties are required to begin arbitration proceedings on or before March 1 unless the parties agree on a later date. The arbitrator is then required to render a decision on or before March 15 unless the parties agree on a later date. (NRS 288.575) If the parties do not reach a collective bargaining agreement through mediation, section 3 of this bill requires mediation to cease and the parties to begin arbitration proceedings within 10 days, rather than 21 days, after the appointment of a mediator. Section 3: (1) requires arbitration proceedings to begin on or before February 15, rather than March 1; and (2) requires the arbitrator to render a decision on or before March 5, rather than March 15. Section 3.5 of this bill makes an appropriation to the Division of Human Resource Management of the Department of Administration for costs relating to the prescheduling of arbitrations and mediations.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 288.565, 288.570, 288.575
Reprint 1: 288.565, 288.570, 288.575
Reprint 2: 288.565, 288.570, 288.575
As Enrolled: 288.565, 288.570, 288.575
BDR: 288.565, 288.570, 288.575