As contract negotiations reach a stalemate, the Henderson Police unions have formally declared an impasse with the City of Henderson. The declaration from the Henderson Police Officers Association (HPOA) and Henderson Police Supervisors Association (HPSA) cites the city's alleged lack of meaningful engagement in discussions over new contracts. FOX5 Vegas reported the associations' collective disappointment in having to take such a step but maintained they had no alternative after the city seemingly refused to consider their proposals.
Amid the fallout, the core issues at hand include officers' wages, cost of living adjustments, and public employee retirement system (PERS) contributions. According to News 3, Andrew Regenbaum of the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers articulated the fiscal challenges faced by the officers, saying, "We're also going to see a large increase in the retirement contributions that the officers are going to have to pay into Nevada PERS this year, which is going to result in a salary decrease currently of 4.375% for the officers, in addition to the cost of living increases that the officers have had to endure for the past three years."
These financial stresses, coupled with the concerns over disciplinary policy and working conditions, have intensified the impasse. Regenbaum provided insight into other negotiation factors, such as on-the-job injuries, denoting the city's reluctance to address these issues satisfactorily. Contract discussions began in March despite the unions' desire to begin in January, with neither side reaching an agreement on the approximately 45 articles that make up the new contract.
Despite these contentions, the City of Henderson maintains it respects and values the contributions of all its employees. In a statement obtained by FOX5 Vegas, a city spokesperson claimed "The City has been bargaining in good faith with the unions, and we have met multiple times with each union for that purpose. Although no agreement has been reached so far, the City remains committed to the process of good faith bargaining." However, from the unions' perspective, the discussions have been far from fruitful. Regenbaum told News 3 that the city has been unwavering, describing the talks as "a pretty strange negotiation" given that not a single part of the new contract is agreed upon as yet, including non-monetary proposals.
The contract standoff looms large as the current agreement's expiration date of June 30 nears. The unions warn that unless the city steps back into negotiations with real intent to address the officers' cost of living and PERS challenges, the police manpower shortages, already prevalent due to vacant positions, are poised to continue. This situation underscores the strained dynamic between public safety officers and municipal entities as they grapple with the economics of keeping communities safe and the workforce adequately compensated.
