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Jun. 04, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Prosecutors union suing Clark County

Pay reduced without bargaining with labor team, attorneys allege

By SCOTT WYLAND
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

A union is suing Clark County because county officials reduced prosecutors' pay raises without bargaining with the labor team.

The wage increases, scheduled for July, will be lowered to 1 percent from 3 percent, saving the county an estimated $311,000. Prosecutors are still eligible for merit pay increases of up to 5 percent in January.

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    • County leaders say they didn't have to negotiate with the union that represents 154 prosecutors because no collective bargaining agreement was formed, just a resolution.

    But a union representative says the county is legally obligated to bargain before changing the pay structure.

    "They can't just do it unilaterally," said Chris Owens, a chief deputy district attorney and a negotiator for the Clark County Prosecutors Association.

    Owens said the prosecutors understand the county's financial plight and were willing to make concessions. The union made a dozen offers to reduce their pay raises and the county rejected all of them, he said.

    However, Don Burnette, the county's chief administrative officer, said none of the offers would have reduced the cost-of-living increases to 1 percent for the year.

    He questioned why prosecutors, who are among the county's highest-paid employees, refused to make the same concessions as rank-and-file workers in the Service Employees International Union, especially when the county faces a $50 million-plus shortfall.

    The lowest prosecutor's salary is $67,000 and the highest is $172,000, counting longevity pay. The average pay for attorneys in both private and public sectors of the county is $118, 500, according to state employment data.

    Owens said the county never made a counteroffer but simply imposed its will.

    "We asked, 'What do you want us to do?' " Owens said. "They wouldn't tell us."

    Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.

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    spartacus wrote on June 06, 2009 12:02 AM: Why comment. Everyone knows this office and its workers are nothing to brag about.

    Cry babies don't begin to cover it. How about parasites now, and always will be.


    Clandestina wrote on June 04, 2009 08:48 PM: Yeah! Call 911! There is so much crying here I'm afraid I'll drown.

    Protecting the public? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH.

    I fear the greedy lawbreaking prosecutors more than I fear any criminal.

    "It's easy to convict a guilty person. It takes a good lawyer to convict an innocent one."

    And now they want more of our money and WAHHHHHHHH! They are going to sue if they don't get it? They should all be fired! Good riddance.


    positivechange wrote on June 04, 2009 07:48 PM: Greed... one of the seven deadly sins. The charge? GUILTY!


    Geezelouise wrote on June 04, 2009 06:54 PM: OH WAAAAAAA. I THINK SOMEONE SHOULD CALL THE WAAAMBULANCE RIGHT AWAY.

    Everyone, everywhere are taking pay cuts or loss of their jobs, but
    I guess these prosecutors are sooooo much better than the rest of us that the economy should not affect them at all.

    GET REAL YOU BUNCH OF BUFFOONS


    tom wrote on June 04, 2009 01:31 PM: Matt wrote on June 04, 2009 01:15 PM, in response to this matt..... Please provide specific facts and cases to support your reckless and slanderous statements. I know you can't. I guess your an unsuccessful defense attorney. Stop hiding and tell us who you really are, because if what your saying is true an investigation is warranted.


    tom wrote on June 04, 2009 01:26 PM: Matt is obviously a disgruntled defense attorney, probably lacking the skills to make a living. matt, please support you reckless and slanderous statements with specific facts and cases. Then stop hiding behind a fake name. Your a coward and a liar, matt.


    when the county paramedics get in trouble for breaking the law, they are appointed these folks on the tax payers dime ? wrote on June 04, 2009 01:23 PM: http://www.lvrj.com/news/20595859.html


    Matt wrote on June 04, 2009 01:15 PM: These comments are bizarre. These are law enforcement officers who keep our community safe. They're only asking that the county stick to what they agreed to. They even tried to make concessions and the county wouldn't budge. All you people who left all these negative comments are probably criminals yourselves (either that or defense attorneys) that's why you're so down on prosecutors!


    Joe wrote on June 04, 2009 01:11 PM: I like how the county just thinks it can reduce pay on an agreement it made without even negotiating. We're only talking about $311,000! Even in a recession that's chump change for the county. This isn't about the money, it's about county management trying to do whatever the hell they want even if it means voiding a binding contract. I say kudos to unions like this one and the firefighters who aren't going to let the county use the economy as an excuse to tear up contracts the county willing entered into but now finds inconvenient.


    Ken wrote on June 04, 2009 12:42 PM: Slime. The economy is shot and the union wants to be exempted. They see what Obama is doing for the UAW and their greed kicked in.

    The unions continue to do more harm to this country than Al Qaeda ever will.


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