Las Vegas and civilian employees ratify collective bargaining agreement

After about a year of negotiations, the city of Las Vegas reached a collective bargaining agreement with union that represents nearly 1,300 civilian employees.

Under the two-year deal with The Las Vegas City Employees’ Association, the roughly 1,265 employees it represents will receive 3.75 percent and 3.30 percent cost of living adjustments, with an estimated cost to the city of about $14.45 million.

The City Council unanimously approved the agreement on Jan. 15.

The contract runs from through June 2026. The city said that employees would receive retroactive pay from July 1, 2024.

Negotiations had reached an impasse after March and mediation sessions kicked off in June, the city said. The union ratified the agreement in December.

There are five collective bargaining units among the more than 3,000 persons the city of Las Vegas employs.

The contract with the union that represents firefighters expired at the end of June 2024. Negotiations have been ongoing for about a year, the city said.

The unions that represent corrections officers and city marshals have contracts through June, the city said. Negotiations for new contracts were expected to start at the beginning of this year.

Corrections lieutenants have a contract in place until summer 2026, the city said.

Most of Las Vegas’ payroll originates from the general fund, the city said. There are, however, positions funded by grants and other coffers, such as those related to sewer and building and safety funds, the city said.

The city confirmed that union negotiations have touched on the longstanding legal battle between the city and the would-be developer of the defunct Badlands golf course that’s expected to cost Las Vegas $636 million.

The City Council in December approved a nonbinding agreement with EHB Cos. led by CEO Yohan Lowie.

The settlement would resolve three remaining lawsuits that alleged the city essentially “took” the 250 acres of land by not allowing EHB to build a planned expansive housing project.

Under the agreement, the city is slated to take over the golf course, sell it to Lennar Homes for $350 million and pay EHB $286 million to settle.

The $636 million would come from the city’s liability insurance and property damage fund, not the city’s general fund, according to city officials.

Earlier this month, Lennar Homes presented its project to the Las Vegas Planning Commission, which sent the proposal to the City Council. EHB spoke in favor of the new development.

Las Vegas Communications Director David Riggleman said the city had informed the unions during negotiations how the proposed Badlands settlement is expected to affect the city’s budget.

“The city has also made third parties to the negotiations, such as arbitrators, aware of the budget impact so that can be figured into an agreement,” Riggleman wrote to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.