LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska state officials are offering bigger incentive packages to try to get people to work in the state’s prisons, veterans homes and other facilities that require around-the-clock staffing.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that state officials say the more generous bonuses are a short-term solution to keep the state competitive while they look for a longer-term fix to the labor shortage and a growing number of vacancies.
One union official says higher wages, not temporary bonuses, are the only real fix for staffing shortages at facilities such as the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.
A spokesman for the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services says labor negotiators will meet with union representatives in September.