Nevada
Las Vegas-area teachers union challenges law prohibiting members from striking
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s largest teachers union filed suit Monday against a state law making it illegal for teachers and other public school employees to go on strike over pay and working conditions in the country’s fifth-largest school district, which includes Las Vegas.
The Clark County Education Association argues in its lawsuit that the 1969 state law prohibiting public employee strikes is unconstitutional. They said it also infringes on the First Amendment rights of its approximately 18,000 members in nearly 380 schools in Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County who are waging a contentious monthslong contract battle.
They also argue that the state’s definition of a strike is overbroad, sweeps away constitutional rights and gives way for arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.
The Clark County School District and the state of Nevada are both listed as defendants in the lawsuit.
In emailed statements, the Clark County School District said it is evaluating the complaint, and the Nevada Attorney General’s office said it would not comment due to pending litigation.
Last month, waves of teachers called in sick over a number of days, forcing many Las Vegas-area schools to close, including one where 87% of the teachers called in sick. The school district filed a lawsuit against the union and a judge ordered the union to put an end to the teacher absences, calling them “very clearly a strike.”
If the “sickout” continued, union penalties could have included daily fines of up to $50,000 for the organization and $1,000 per day for union officers, as well as jail time, suspension or termination for strike participants.
The union maintained that it was not involved in the absences, and appealed that ruling to the Nevada Supreme Court.
If the judge rules in the union’s favor and a contract agreement is not in place, a union spokesperson said they would “take the question of a strike to our membership to make a decision.”
”Simply put, the money is there, and our demands are, and have always been, in alignment with the priorities passed by the legislature and designed specifically to address the crisis of educator vacancies we are facing in Clark County,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Contract talks have been underway since March over issues such as pay, benefits and working conditions. Tension grew when the union threatened to take action if a contract wasn’t reached before the 2023-24 school year started in August. Those actions included teachers refusing to work more hours than their contracted workday.
The school union negotiations are happening in a year where workers groups have repeatedly challenged how workers are treated across the country, from Detroit auto workers to Los Angeles school employees to Hollywood writers and Las Vegas Strip hospitality workers.
The teachers union in Las Vegas wants nearly 20% across-the-board pay raises over two years. Leaders also want additional compensation for special education teachers and teachers in high-vacancy, typically low-income schools; and increased pay for teachers working extended-day hours at certain campuses.
The school district has offered 17.4% raises over two years, so long as the state education funds are applied as estimated during that time period.
Several state lawmakers have urged the district to comply with the union’s school raise request, citing a record increase in public education funding they allocated during the legislative session.
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Associated Press writer Rio Yamat contributed from Las Vegas. Stern is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Follow Stern on X, formerly Twitter: @gabestern326.
Nevada
Nevada basketball drops close game to Vanderbilt for its first loss of the season
Nevada battled back after falling into a hole in the second half, but the Wolf Pack suffered its first loss of the season, 73-71, to Vanderbilt on Thursday in the Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C.
The Wolf Pack plays VCU at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Seton Hall beat VCU, 69-66, in overtime Thursday.
Tyler Rolison and Kobe Sanders each had 13 points to lead Nevada as the Wolf Pack fell to 4-1. Brandon Love had 11 points and Nick Davidson added nine points and nine rebounds.
The Commodores led 59-47 midway through the second half. Nevada got back within one in the final minutes but could not get any closer.
Nevada led by 10 in the early going before Vanderbilt rallied to take a 37-35 lead into the break.
Nevada shot 54 percent for the field (29-of-54) while Vanderbilt shot 47 percent (28-59). Both team shot 6-of-15 from 3-point range.
Nevada had a 33-30 edge in rebounding. Both teams had 13 assists. Nevada committed 16 turnovers while Vanderbilt had 13.
A.J. Hoggard, a Michigan State transfer, led Vanderbilt (5-0) with 18 points, Jason Edwards added 16 and MJ Collins had 15. Vanderbilt plays Seton Hall at 2 p.m. Friday.
Nevada’s bench contributed 28 points, 24 for Vanderbilt’s bench.
The Pack had a lull in the second half before clawing back.
It was the first time Nevada had played Vanderbilt.
Former Utah State coach Ryan Odom is the coach at VCU now.
Up Next
- Nevada faces Seton VCU at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the Charleston Classic
- Dec. 2, Washington State at Nevada, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 7, Nevada at Loyola Marymount, 6 p.m.
- Dec. 11, South Dakota State at Nevada, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 14, Texas Southern at Nevada, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 21, Colorado State at Nevada, 2 p.m.
- Dec. 28, Nevada at Wyoming, 1 p.m.
- Dec. 31, Utah State at Nevada, 7 p.m.
Nevada
Vanderbilt Commodores Face Unbeaten Nevada in Charleston Classic Opener
The Vanderbilt Commodores kick off their Charleston Classic tournament on Thursday night, facing the unbeaten Nevada Wolfpack in a clash of contrasting styles.
Both teams are 4-0 and looking to make an early-season statement.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. EST at TD Arena, and the game will air on ESPNU.
For Vanderbilt, this marks the first test of the year after an impressive start in Memorial Gymnasium.
The Commodores are coming off a 94-81 victory over the Jackson State Tigers, a game that showcased their potential from beyond the arc. Vanderbilt drained 16 3-pointers, their highest total since 2022, with five players hitting multiple shots from deep.
Tyler Nickel led the charge, going 4-for-8 from 3-point range, while freshman Tyler Tanner and AJ Hoggard chipped in with three triples apiece.
Nevada also enters with momentum, fresh off an 85-59 dismantling of the Santa Clara Broncos.
The Wolf Pack have won every game by double digits, thriving on efficiency and disciplined play. Led by Nick Davidson, who averages 18 points and 8 rebounds per game, Nevada ranks second nationally in 3-point percentage at 48.6%.
Their deliberate, systematic approach to offense has also been a key to their success. Nevada averages just 10 turnovers per game while dishing out 18 assists, a testament to their precision and execution.
Vanderbilt will counter Nevada’s slow tempo with a more aggressive style fueled by their depth.
Nine players average between 15 and 25 minutes per contest, allowing the Commodores to maintain energy and tempo throughout games.
Jason Edwards leads the team in scoring with 17.5 points per contest, while Devin McGlockton has emerged as a defensive force, ranking second in the SEC and 11th nationally in blocks. McGlockton has recorded multiple rejections in every game this season, providing a critical presence in the paint.
This matchup may hinge on who can control the 3-point line.
Nevada has been lights out from deep, with Davidson converting a remarkable 9-of-11 attempts this season. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, flashed their own shooting prowess against Jackson State after a sluggish start to the season from beyond the arc.
The stakes are high, with the winner advancing to Friday’s semifinal to face either the Seton Hall Pirates or VCU Rams.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Commodores and Wolf Pack, setting the stage for an intriguing showdown as Vanderbilt looks to have their best start to a season since 2015-16.
Nevada
New heat-based worker protections on the books in Nevada
LAS VEGAS — For the first time, businesses in Nevada will have to comply with heat-based hazard regulations in the workplace.
The announcement came from the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Wednesday, following the hottest summer on record in Las Vegas.
This is big news for any organization with more than 10 employees where most employees are exposed to heat illness. These businesses will now have to do a job hazard analysis specifically on heat and adopt a written plan to mitigate worker exposure.
The new regulations are not temperature-threshold specific.
“Because every job is different, whether you’re in a kitchen, whether you’re outside as a landscaper or construction worker or a warehouse, every situation is different where there was no uniform temperature threshold that worked for all types of environments,” Victoria Carreon, Division of Industrial Relations Administrator, said.
Other states that have heat-based workplace regulations include California, Washington and Oregon making Nevada the next in the West to adopt such workplace rules. However, this new regulation did not come from the state lawmakers or from the federal level.
“In this case, this was not required by the legislature, this was something that Nevada OSHA decided was really important for Nevada given our hot, desert climate and the hazard of heat illness,” Carreon said.
Guidance for how this regulation will be rolled out and implemented is expected in the next 30 days. After that, an outreach and engagement initiative will take place over the course of three months to help businesses understand what they need to do to comply with this newest regulation.
Enforcement will begin after that, just in time for next summer.
“Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the employers to determine what the hazards are and implement measures that will protect their employees from heat illness,” Carreon said.
2024’s Extreme Heat
This year, OSHA received 467 heat-related complaints for workplace hazards, which may not be surprising given the record-breaking nature of this season’s hot weather. We experienced 112 days over 100°, with 36 of those days over 110°.
The level of heat-related mortality also rose this year, Clark County has counted over 400 deaths so far this year where hot temperatures played a significant role.
Clark Co. reports 402 heat deaths so far this year
Regulation Outline
The approved regulation (R131-24AP [leg.state.nv.us]) requires businesses with more than 10 employees to implement the following measures:
- Job Hazard Analysis: Businesses with more than 10 employees must perform a one-time job hazard analysis of working conditions that could cause heat illness.
- This analysis is limited to job classifications where a majority of employees have occupational exposure to heat illness for more than 30 minutes of any 60-minute period, excluding breaks.
- Written Safety Program: If the job hazard analysis identifies conditions that may cause heat illness, a written plan is required that includes the following:
- Provision of potable water;
- Provision of a rest break when an employee exhibits signs or symptoms of heat illness;
- Provision for means of cooling for employees;
- Monitoring by a person designated by the employer of working conditions that could create occupational exposure to heat illness;
- Identification and mitigation of work processes that may generate additional heat or humidity;
- Training of employees; and
- Procedures for responding to an emergency.
- Emergency Procedures: Employers are required to designate an individual who will contact emergency services if an employee is experiencing signs of heat illness.
- Training: Employers are required to provide training to employees identified in the job hazard analysis on the following topics:
- How to recognize the hazards of heat illness
- Procedures to be followed to minimize the hazards of heat illness.
- Exemption for Climate-Controlled Environments:
- The regulation’s requirements do not apply to employees who work indoors in climate-controlled environments, including motor vehicles with a properly functioning climate control system.
- If the climate control system becomes nonfunctional or ineffective, the employer shall make a good-faith effort to reestablish an effective system as soon as practicable.
- Until the climate control system is rendered effective, the employer must implement the potential hazards that could cause heat illness.
- Collective Bargaining Agreements:
- Employers can exceed the requirements of the regulation on their own or through collective bargaining agreements.
- Collective bargaining agreements cannot waive or reduce the requirements of the regulation; and
- The regulation does not relieve an employer of contractual obligations under a collective bargaining agreement.
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