Working + The Economy
Nevada state employees win right to bargain collectively
In what a state employee organization called “the largest expansion of collective bargaining rights for state workers in 16 years,” Gov. Steve Sisolak Wednesday signed into law legislation to allow state employees to bargain collectively. The bill made it through the Legislature late in the session, and then only after it was amended to give […]
Still no fix for sexual harassment in Nevada casinos
A year after the Nevada Gaming Control Board moved to clean up an industry sullied by Steve Wynn, a casino owner who reportedly couldn’t keep his hands off the hired help, the industry, which employs more than 400,000 people, remains paralyzed by inaction. Regulations proposed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (GCB) designed to […]
While lawmakers pass $12 wage bill, workers prepare to strike for $15
While the Nevada Legislature recently approved raising the minimum wage to $12 by 2024, there is still a push to increase the wage to at least $15 an hour. Fast food workers and unions plan to strike across the country this Friday as part of ongoing efforts to earn a livable wage. U.S. Sen. Kamala […]
Former Lt. Gov. wins contract with embattled Workforce Connections
Southern Nevada’s Workforce Connections, which is defending itself against a federal lawsuit, is looking to beef up its legal representation with a political heavy hitter. The board voted unanimously Tuesday (with Tick Segerblom abstaining) to approve a contract of up to $100,000 for Hutchison and Steffen, the firm of former Nevada Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison. […]
If Nevada was a country…
Nevada gold production was down slightly in 2018, but the price was up, and Nevada produced 83 percent of all U.S. gold production, according to a release from the state Division of Minerals. If Nevada was a country, it would have been the world’s fifth largest gold producer, behind China, Russia, Australia, and Canada. Of […]
Sisolak signals he’ll sign minimum wage, paid leave bills
In a statement issued minutes after legislators adjourned midnight Monday, Gov. Steve Sisolak touted legislation he’s already signed, and promised that in coming days he will sign bills to raise the state minimum wage and mandate that some private sector employees provide employees with paid sick leave. Along with the education budget and the new […]
State’s richest save 14.7%, poorest save .35% under Trump tax cuts
The trickle-down effects of President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act have failed to materialize to the extent anticipated by the administration, but Nevada’s wealthiest — sometimes dubbed the “one-percenters” — are benefiting disproportionately, according to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The highest earners in Nevada, those with wages […]
Workers should be empowered to bargain and Democrats know it
A bill to allow collective bargaining for state employees should pass in Nevada. Support for collective bargaining has been a staple Democratic position for decades, and Democrats control both houses of the Legislature. Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, in his state of the state address, said state workers “should be empowered to bargain collectively in the […]
Las Vegas allocated $45 million in tax credits for community investment
The U.S. Treasury Department has awarded the City of Las Vegas $45 million in federally-funded New Market Tax Credits to invest in low-income and underserved communities in Southern Nevada. The tax credits program is meant to encourage investment in historically underserved communities by providing investors with the tax credits when they make investments in qualified […]
Man with a ($9 trillion) plan
Unlike Pete Buttigieg or Beto O’Rourke, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee hasn’t been a flavor-of-the-month yet. Nor does Inslee have a national following on the scale enjoyed by Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris. He doesn’t have Joe Biden’s name recognition. Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand have more name recognition than Inslee. One thing […]
Minimum wage bill would help some workers, leave many others behind
As state legislators consider a bill to raise the minimum wage, economists, activists and low-wage workers have found themselves wondering if the legislation goes far enough, and if Nevada Democrats are blowing their opportunity to help working families. A key component of their vaunted “Nevada Blueprint,” Assembly and Senate Democrats early on vowed to tackle […]
Paid leave, minimum wage legislation on track as is, for now
During hearings Wednesday on raising the minimum wage and implementing paid leave policies, many low-wage workers outlined an impossible choice they make when they get sick. Do they take time off to deal with their own or their child’s illness, which means foregoing a day or two of wages at $8.25 an hour, Nevada’s current […]