Public union contracts in Nevada placed online
The state’s Employee-Management Relations Board said Friday it has posted on its website more than 200 collective bargaining agreements between local government agencies and employee unions in Nevada.
The agreements are available for public review at www.emrb.nv.gov.
The move comes after the Legislature this session made efforts to improve transparency before local government agencies approve contracts. Senate Bill 158, signed by Gov. Brian Sandoval, requires local government agencies to post proposed collective bargaining agreements online at least three days before taking action.
The EMRB’s posting of the contracts, which isn’t required by the new law, adds another level of transparency. In the past, the EMRB kept the copies of contract agreements between unions and local governments filed in a cabinet. By law, each union representing government employees must file a copy of the collective bargaining agreement each year with the EMRB.
“Now, however, they are available to anyone at any time, thus allowing the public and anyone wishing to conduct research full access to every provision of every contract,” said EMRB Commissioner Bruce Snyder. “Placing the existing agreements on our website supplements this goal of making collective bargaining more transparent to the public year round.”
Board Secretary Marisu Romualdez Abellar, who uploaded the documents, said they are categorized by the agency type, such as cities, counties, school districts and special districts, allowing the public to easily find similar types of agreements.
Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1.
