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Gridlocked Senate Rejects Cloture for Collective Bargaining
December 8, 2010 -- The U.S. Senate today rejected a procedural
vote on the IAFF’s collective bargaining act, stalling efforts to give fire
fighters the same workplace rights that workers in the private sector have had
for more than 70 years.
The Senate voted 55-43 to bring the bill up for consideration, five votes short
of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster waged by anti-labor senators. The
legislation was doomed by the solid opposition of Senate Republicans, who last
week pledged to oppose cloture on any legislation -- even bills they support —
before the Senate votes on extending the expiring tax cuts.
Three Democrats joined with 40 Republicans in voting against the bill, while 55
Democrats supported it.
“It’s a sad day in America when the rights of fire fighters are ignored in favor
of tax breaks for millionaires,” IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger
says.
The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, S. 3991, has broad
bipartisan support and won the support of lawmakers in the House of
Representatives, but partisan gridlock prevented the Senate from approving the
measure.
“The Senate is being deeply irresponsible. Failing to extend the collective
bargaining rights that fire fighters deserve because they can’t reach an
agreement on tax breaks is shameful,” Schaitberger says.
By seeking a cloture vote on collective bargaining, Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid (D-NV) followed through on his commitment to bring the issue to the floor
for an up or down vote while Democrats hold the majority in both chambers of
Congress.
“I want to thank Senator Reid for fulfilling his commitment to the nation’s
first responders. But it is deeply troubling that the Senate won’t approve a
measure that has broad support from members on both sides of the aisle because
they want to engage in partisan bickering and gamesmanship,” Schaitberger says.
The Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote December 9 on the James Zadroga
9/11 Health and Compensation Act, H.R. 847. |
