Faculty at Nevada State University won the right to unionize this week, becoming the fourth collective bargaining chapter — and first university — of the Nevada Faculty Alliance.
“It’s a watershed moment for faculty in Nevada,” NFA President Jim New said. “It really advances the cause for collective bargaining. We now have a majority of institutions in the Nevada System of Higher Education where the faculty are engaged in collective bargaining.”
The American Arbitration Association certified a 104 to 8 vote in favor of the move on Monday and Tuesday. The group joins hundreds of members of the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors across the state. Across the country, 1.8 million teachers and professors are members of the AFT, the largest higher education union in the country.
Nevada State University marks the first university in Nevada to earn the right to have collective bargaining. Truckee Meadows Community College, Western Nevada College and College of Southern Nevada, all community colleges, are part of NFA-AAUP-AFT. Great Basin College, UNLV and University of Nevada, Reno, have advocacy chapters without the right to collective bargaining.
Regents approve vote
The Board of Regents approved the NFA’s request to hold the election at its March meeting.
“NSHE respects the faculty’s right to organize under Board policy and looks forward to continuing our collaborative work,” NSHE said in a statement.
The rights to collectively bargain in Nevada are defined by the Regents, and are very limited, New said. NFA hopes to change that with Assembly Bill 191, which would establish regulations for collective bargaining for NSHE employees in state law. That bill also would apply to the graduate students’ ongoing efforts to be recognized as a union , which New said is “long overdue.”
Regent Carlos Fernandez said the unionizing was a “significant moment” for the university, and part of a “broader conversation about voice, representation, and shared governance in higher education.”
“My hope is that this development leads to constructive dialogue and continued collaboration that puts student success and institutional excellence at the forefront,” Fernandez said in a message.
Faculty rejoice
Faculty at Nevada State University expressed their excitement at the vote, which they said was the result of a long effort.
“This win is the result of countless conversations, collective courage and a faculty who care deeply about one another, our students and the mission of Nevada State University,” Corey Fernandez, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Counseling, said in a statement. “We are so proud to have reached this point — and even more excited to begin the next chapter: negotiating a contract that protects what we love about NSU and ensures it remains a place where we can all thrive.”
Andrew Lavengood, a mathematics lecturer in the university’s Department of Data, Media and Design, echoed this sentiment.
“I have had the distinct pleasure of working with and leading some of the most incredible people at Nevada State over the past year and half, and it is so fulfilling to see all of that work come together,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to negotiating with NSU administration directly for a fair, collaborative contract that protects faculty needs.”
Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social.
