Clark County School Board approves labor deal with school police

The Clark County School Board voted 6-0 on Thursday to approve a labor agreement with school police that includes about $1 million worth of salary increases and benefits from 2007 to 2011.

About half of the money, $450,034 for a 2 percent cost-of-living increase from 2007-08, has already been paid since Clark County School District officials at the time agreed to give police what other employee groups were getting. The 2007-08 contract, however, had not been formally approved since negotiations with the Police Officers Association of the Clark County School District continued on other issues.

Another $541,586 for a 4 percent cost-of-living increase from 2008-09 was held in an escrow account until labor issues were resolved, district officials said.

The labor agreement was prolonged by a dispute as to whether school police were entitled to the same collective bargaining rights that apply to other police and firefighters.

The district decided to settle after a District Court judge affirmed a ruling from the state’s Local Government Employee-Management Relations Board that sided with police.