Henderson police association accuses chief of union busting

A Henderson police union is again accusing its chief of union busting.

On Monday, the Henderson Police Supervisors Association filed a complaint with the state-run Government Employee-Management Relations Board, claiming union leadership was passed over for promotions. The promotion decisions were part of an effort to reduce the power of the union and hamper the group’s ability to attract leadership, the complaint alleges.

“This is not a matter of us not liking his decisions and crying over it,” said Richard McCann, executive director of the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers, who is representing the union. “But there is a definite underlying current of union busting when you connect all the dots regarding his decisions on promotions and specialized assignments.”

The filing, which names the city, the police department, and Chief Thedrick Andres, marks the second time in two years that the labor group has accused department leadership of union busting. A complaint filed in 2018 was dropped by two police unions last year.

City supports chief

The Henderson Police Supervisors Association claims the chief’s decisions are driven by his “lingering anger and outrage” over being named in the 2018 complaint, which was filed when he held the rank of deputy chief.

In a statement, city spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said the union’s claims lack “factual and legal support,” and that there are examples of union leadership advancing in the department.

“Since he was appointed to lead the Henderson Police Department, Chief Thedrick Andres has worked tirelessly to implement a culture of accountability and merit-based advancement,” Richards said in the statement. “The HPSA has struggled to adapt to this shift in culture.

“The City of Henderson applauds Chief Andres for the important work he has done to ensure that those in leadership positions earn their place and exemplify the department’s values of integrity, honor and professionalism. The citizens of Henderson deserve nothing less. The City will resolutely defend Chief of Police Andres and the department against these claims.”

Passed over for promotions

According to the complaint, three unnamed Henderson Police Supervisors Association executive board members were on a promotion list for captain positions but were not selected to be promoted. One of the three unnamed members is the current union president and another is the treasurer, according to the filing. The complaint states the members were strong union rights advocates.

“Moreover, all three of these individuals are of different racial backgrounds than Chief Andres,” the complaint states. The complaint does not specify the race of the union members. Andres is Black.

The union leaders were told Andres would not promote them because he wanted someone with a “different perspective,” the complaint alleges.

Two captain positions were ultimately filled with nonunion leader applicants. The complaint accuses Andres of waiting until the nonunion leader applicants were eligible for promotion before he filled the roles.

One of the people who got promoted was “promoted in part based on his race,” the complaint alleges.

McCann said the union has concerns that race has played a role in the chief’s decision-making.

In another instance, the complaint alleges, a sergeant who is secretary of the union was passed over for a promotion.

The complaint accuses Andres of taking an “unusual interest” in expediting an internal investigation into an accident the sergeant got into while on duty. The chief used the incident to justify removing the sergeant from the promotions list, the complaint alleges.

In a separate promotion process, however, another sergeant who faced allegations of misconduct that were later sustained had their promotion fast-tracked, according to the complaint.

Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.