NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Clark County Education Association has filed its petition to allow teachers to go on strike, saying the current system is broken and in need of reform. However, a public-policy advocate warned that allowing strikes could backfire, with parents struggling to find child care as teachers walk off the job.
Top officials with the CCEA’s political action committee and union Executive Director John Vellardita addressed media at North Las Vegas City Hall on Thursday after the initiative was filed with the Nevada Secretary of State. They noted the union’s most recent contract negotiations with the Clark County School District was the fourth time in recent years that talks ended up in binding arbitration.
“So we believe that this petition is going to allow educators to take that power back because currently, that power lies in the employers’ hands,” said school psychologist Jordan Wenger. “And that leads to a very long arduous process to get a resolution. And it is of note that in Clark County, we just finished up an arbitration session and we got all of the points that we wanted in our contract negotiations.”
RELATED LINK: Clark County teachers union petition would allow educator strikes in Nevada
Strikes by public employees have been prohibited in Nevada since 1969. In exchange, employees have the right to demand binding arbitration if negotiations are not fruitful. Unions usually prevail in binding arbitrations.
“I think this is the deal that they, [public employee unions], made,” said Geoffrey Lawrence, research director for the Nevada Policy Research Institute. “It’s the deal that they wanted, because it stacks the deck most in their favor.”
Lawrence said not all strikes are the same; private sector strikes affect a single company but public employee strikes have more widespread effects.
“When Ford employees go on strike, for instance, the only people who are really affected are Ford employees and the company itself and maybe their customers or their suppliers,” Lawrence said. “When the teachers union goes out on strike, it doesn’t hurt the school district. The people that it winds up hurting are parents and families.”
Union officials acknowledge that strikes can be disruptive but said they can also be effective. CCEA President Marie Neisses noted a Los Angeles teachers contract dispute ended just three days after a strike began.
Neisses said the union would ensure nobody is surprised by a strike, if one should happen.
“So it’s no different than [when] our nurses go on strike. The [emergency room] department is still there to provide essential services,” Neisses said. “So we will have a plan in place. We will also make sure that the parents understand that this is going to happen. We’ll give them ample notice. But again, we’re looking for resolution.”
The union can begin circulating the petitions immediately but will wait just in case the petition is challenged in court. It will take 102,362 valid signatures to send the petition to the 2025 Legislature, where lawmakers will have 40 days to pass it into law. If they ignore the measure, or if they pass it but it’s vetoed by Gov. Joe Lombardo, it will go to the ballot in 2026.
Union officials said Thursday that they are still open to reforms of existing binding arbitration laws, and may withdraw the petition if some other reforms are enacted.
Lombardo’s office said Thursday the governor has no comment on the initiative.
