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IAFF LEGISLATIVE FACT SHEET
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
The IAFF strongly supports the Public
Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act and encourages Members of
Congress to cosponsor the bill.
BACKGROUND
Fire and police departments benefit
immeasurably from productive partnerships between employers and
employees. Studies have shown that communities promoting such
cooperation enjoy more effective and efficient delivery of emergency
services. Especially critical during our nation’s current economic
challenges, cooperation enables employers and employees to work
together to confront difficult budgetary constraints. The best way
to ensure such cooperation is through an established collective
bargaining framework. Most public safety officers already enjoy
collective bargaining rights through state or local law, but many
still have no rights to discuss workplace issues with their
employer.
Over the years,
Congress has expanded the scope of collective bargaining laws to protect private
sector employees, non-profit association employees, transportation workers,
federal government employees and, most recently, congressional employees. One
of the few groups of workers not covered by federal law is state and local
government employees, including public safety officers.
U.S. House: H.R. 413, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act
Sponsors:
Representative Dale Kildee (D-MI)
Representative John Duncan (R-TN)
U.S. Senate: S.
1611, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act
Sponsors: Senator Judd
Gregg (R-NH)
Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
S. 3991, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act
Sponsor: Senator
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Summary:
H.R. 413 and the Senate bills S. 1611
and S. 3991 would grant public safety
officers
collective bargaining rights in states that don't currently provide them. The legislation
gives states wide flexibility to write and administer their own laws, consistent with the
following minimum rights:
• to bargain over wages, hours
and working conditions;
• to use a dispute resolution mechanism, such as fact finding, mediation
or
arbitration;
and
• enforcement of contracts through state courts.
The legislation expressly prohibits strikes and lockouts; does not
infringe on
right-to-work laws; and does not interfere with existing state laws and collective
bargaining agreements.
Cosponsors H.R. 413
Cosponsors S. 1611
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION
On
January 9, 2009, H.R. 413 was introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives and referred to the Committee on Education and
Labor.
On August 6, 2009, S. 1611 was introduced in the U.S. Senate and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
On March 10, 2010, the House Education Subcommittee
on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions held a hearing on H.R. 413.
Read more....
On July 1, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives
passed the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act as part of an
amendment to a supplemental appropriations bill, H.R. 4899, by a vote of 239-182-1.
Read more...
On July 22, 2010, the Senate failed to invoke
cloture on H.R. 4899, as amended, by a vote of 46-51.
On November 30, 2010, S. 3991 was introduced in the
U.S. Senate.
On December 8, 2010, the Senate failed to invoke
cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 3991 by a
vote of 55-43.
Read more...
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