May 9, 2008

Senate to Vote on Public Safety Collective Bargaining Bill

Since our thwarted efforts to attach the Collective Bargaining bill to the Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act in the Senate at the end of last year, NAPO has been working closely with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, as well as Senate leadership, to secure a vote on the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, S.2123.   NAPO has been told by Senate leadership that the Senate will vote on the bill the week of May 12, Police Week.   

The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act is a bipartisan bill that will guarantee that law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service workers in all 50 states have the right to discuss workplace issues with their employers.   It will provide a framework for such discussions, while respecting the right and flexibility of states to write their own laws for public sector workers.  Importantly, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act prohibits strikes and does not call for mandatory arbitration.  States that offer equal or greater collective bargaining rights will be exempt from this federal statute.  This legislation will not overturn current collective bargaining laws – it will only provide basic collective bargaining rights to those who currently do not have them.  

The public safety is best protected through effective partnerships between first responders on the front lines and the agencies that employ them.  This legislation will ensure that all public safety officers have the opportunity to meet with local officials to discuss how they do their jobs and how best to protect the public.

In July of last year, NAPO finally got this bill passed by the House - the first time in the 13 years we've been fighting for its passage that the House has passed the bill.  Now we have the opportunity to get the Public Safety Collective Bargaining bill passed by the Senate.  Although we feel our chances are strong, it will be a tough vote and we need to ensure that it has the support of the majority of the Senate. 

It is imperative that law enforcement officers - who want the basic American right of collective bargaining for wages, hours and working conditions - reach out to their Senators and urge them to vote for S. 2123, as it was introduced by Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA).  There will be many attempts to significantly change and derail this bill through amendments offered during debate, much like Senators Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Michael Enzi (R-WY) did during deliberation on our amendment to the Farm bill.  It is important that Senators who support the Public Safety Collective Bargaining bill stand with Senators Gregg and Kennedy and follow their lead.   Through their work with NAPO over the years, Senators Gregg and Kennedy understand the needs of the law enforcement community in regards to collective bargaining.   We must ensure that the Senate passes our Collective Bargaining bill. 

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Andy Mournighan, NAPO’s Government Affairs Director, at (703) 549-0775.  With your help, we can give all public safety officers the right to collectively bargain and end this 13-year fight.