Judge blocks benefit cuts for North Las Vegas police supervisors

A judge Thursday issued a temporary restraining order to freeze pay and benefit cuts North Las Vegas had planned to make for the 60-member police supervisors’ union.

The city and the union are embroiled in a contract dispute and have a pending case before Nevada’s Employee-Management Relations Board.

But the union, which represents sergeants and lieutenants, sued last week after the city announced pay and benefits cuts, including cost-of-living raises and additional pay for bilingual officers. The cuts were to take effect June 19.

During a Thursday hearing before District Judge Susan Scann, union lawyer Nicholas Wieczorek argued that the city’s planned cuts would hurt officers who depended on that income. She should bar the city from going forward and maintain the status quo until the Employee-Management Relations Board rules.

But city lawyers said financially strapped North Las Vegas needed the ability to make the cuts because of its money troubles.

Also, attorney Richard Dreitzer said the officers wouldn’t be harmed because the city could repay any lost wages or benefits if needed at the conclusion of the labor dispute.

Scann sided with the union and granted the restraining order, which will remain in effect until Wednesday’s hearing on a preliminary injunction that would stall the cuts until the labor board makes its ruling.

“The city has acted as if there’s been a contract for the past eight months,” Scann said. “As far as I’m concerned, they can do it another week.”

The dispute centers on whether the newly created supervisors union falls under the labor contract its members had when they were under the larger North Las Vegas Police Officers Association. The supervisors split from the larger union last fall and were recognized as their own bargaining unit by the city in November.

At the time, city management said it intended to keep the supervisors under the terms of their previous contract until a new collective bargaining agreement could be reached. But in a June 8 letter, Acting City Manager Mary Ann Ustick said a new contract had not been reached and the new union did not fall under the old contract.

City spokeswoman Juliet Casey said the lawsuit circumvents the established process for settling labor disputes and threatens the city’s ability to balance its budget.

“This totally flies in the face of the city trying to rein in costs,” she said.

Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@review journal.com or 702-383-0281.