Senate to Vote on Collective Bargaining Bill

May 12, 2008 – The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, the IAFF's national collective bargaining bill (S 2123) is expected to be brought to the floor of the United States Senate for a vote Tuesday morning May 13, 2008.

"More than 80,000 of our brother and sister fire fighters in more than 20 states do not currently enjoy basic employment rights," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. This bill will ensure that every fire fighter has the right to collectively bargain."

The IAFF's single most important legislative initiative, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act was introduced in the House as H.R. 980 by Representatives Dale Kildee (D-MI) and John Duncan (R-TN), and overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 314-97. In the Senate, S 2123 was introduced by Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

S 2123 assures four basic rights: the right to organize and form a union and be recognized as the exclusive representative for employees within a specific fire department; the right to bargain with respective public employers over wages and other terms and conditions of employment; the right to have a neutral third party assist in mediating any disputed issues; and the right to reduce negotiated agreements into binding, legally enforceable contracts.

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