College of Southern Nevada faculty ratifies first contract
After 3½ years of negotiations, College of Southern Nevada faculty has ratified its first contract with the school.
It includes a 1.75 percent pay bump and the potential for additional lab pay, according to a statement from the CSN chapter of the Nevada Faculty Alliance, with a goal of better aligning CSN’s compensation rates to those at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno.
“The contract is a historic milestone, and assures that CSN faculty do not assume an unfair share of the burden of the current budget crisis and any consequent cuts and furloughs,” said chapter Vice President Staci Walters.
Funding for the pay adjustment came from unused funds allocated in 2017 for a pay equity study that was never conducted, according to the statement.
The contract was ratified by the union in an 83-17 percent vote and now heads to the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents for final approval.
The NSHE regents approved at the board’s last meeting a budget reduction plan that could see up to $124 million in cuts at its institutions, including possible furloughs for professional staff should the system be required to make budget reductions of 10 percent or more, something Gov. Steve Sisolak’s administration has indicated might be required in fiscal year 2021 to address the impact of the coronavirus on Nevada’s tax revenue.
CSN faculty previously asked for a 1.25 percent raise across the board as well as the option to turn to outside arbitration in case of disputes, but eventually settled on the latter issue in order to secure the pay adjustment.
Contact Aleksandra Appleton at 702-383-0218 or aappleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @aleksappleton on Twitter.
