Las Vegas police officers are essentially being drafted to work the draft. And they’re taking exception to it.
Via KVVU-TV in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Police Protective Association has filed a complaint against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department regarding travel and time-off restrictions implemented in connection with the upcoming NFL draft.
The union contends that the Police Department has violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement by not consulting with the union before making the announcement regarding time-off restrictions.
Per the complaint, the Police Department announced that vacation, leave, and out-of-state travel would be suspended from April 22-26.
The complaint alleges that these matters are subject to mandatory bargaining requirements, and that the Police Department cannot unilaterally implement changes to existing policy.
If the union is accurately reading and interpreting the CBA, then the Police Department should have negotiated with the union and made a concession or two to get the officers to agree to suspend vacation, leave, and out-of-state travel during the days of the draft. If a concession or two need to be made, it’s a small price to pay for the privilege of hosting the draft.