Your rights are under attack!!!
That’s right, your rights granted by past Navajo Nation Councils and Presidents are being ignored. We want to let you know what is happening right now as you read this information. But first, please allow us to give you a little history about your rights.
In 1992, the Navajo Nation Council voted to put in place what is known as the Navajo Preference in Employment Act and it was signed by the Navajo Nation President. This law covered numerous issues that effect any person that is employed on the Navajo Nation. Included in this law are Employees who work for the Navajo Nation Government. For the first time these Employees had the right to join, form, support a Union or to not join, form, or support a Union.
In 1995, Employees who worked for the Navajo Nation elected to join a Union – United Mine Workers of America. They overwhelming signed petitions authorizing the Union to represent them. The Director of the Office of Navajo Labor Relations denied these Employees their legal rights. The Union sued the Navajo Nation to protect those Employees’ rights. After years of legal battles those rights were won for Navajo Nation Employees.
Now, we fast forward to January 2018, when it was time to bargain a new collective agreement, the Russell Begaye administration indicated they would bargain but as we reached the expiration dates of the E-Branch & Public Safety agreements they failed to negotiate.
With the election of a new President, Jonathan Nez, we held hope that they would uphold Navajo Law. However, after numerous meetings and broken promises, we received a letter from Chief of Staff, Paul Chaco indicating that they not only would not follow Navajo Law on the two agreements and would not bargain on the Head Start agreement.
The United Mine Workers of America have again filed a lawsuit to protect your rights.
As stated earlier, it is your right to join or form a union or to not join or form a union. It is NOT the President’s right to abolish your legal rights. If they are allowed to violate this law, no one knows what law they may violate next.
Speak Out!
Demand that Your Rights are Preserved!
Ask Your Council Delegate to Hold the Administration Accountable!!!
