NAPO Washington Reports

NAPO Advocates Reintroducing Legislation to Extend Collective Bargaining Right to Public Safety Officers - Letter to Senate Committee Members

September 4, 2013

NAPO has sent the attached letter to every member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions and the House Committee on Education & the Workforce to request that the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act be reintroduced during the 113th Congress.  This important piece of legislation would extend collective bargaining rights to public safety officers.

Federal law has extended collective bargaining rights to a number of different sectors, but not to public safety officers. Moreover, currently, many states do not allow public safety employees the fundamental right to bargain with their employers.  History shows that denying workers the right to bargain collectively causes poor morale, the waste of resources, unfair and inadequate working conditions, and low productivity.  Ultimately, it is the public’s safety and security that is jeopardized by such poor working conditions.

In addition to providing public safety officers the right to bargain over wages, hours, and working conditions, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act would:  provide for fact finding and mediation to resolve disputes; protect current state laws, certification, and collective bargaining agreements; preserve legitimate management rights; and give public safety officers the right to form and join a union or association of their own choosing.

NAPO has actively fought for the enactment of legislation to extend collective bargaining rights to public safety officers, and continues to make it a top legislative priority.  Over the past several months, NAPO’s Executive Director, Bill Johnson, has discussed the importance of extending collective bargaining rights to public safety officers during meetings with the following members of Congress and their staffs: Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and his Legislative Assistant, Mr. John Byers; Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) and his Legislative Director, Mr. Mark Ratner; Congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC), his Chief of Staff, Mr. Kenny West, and his Legislative Assistant, Mr. Philip Newman; Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) Chief Legal Counsel, Mr. Russell Coleman; Congressman David Reichert (R-WA) (co-chair of the House Law Enforcement Caucus), and his Legislative Assistant, Ms. Natalie Kamphaus; Congressman Dan Maffei (D-NY); Congressman Dan Kildee (D-MI); Congressman John Dingell (D-MI); Congressman Bill Keating (D-MA); Congressman Gary Peters (D-MI); Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ); Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) (co-chair of the House Law Enforcement Caucus); Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ); Congressman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ); and Congressman Jon Runyan (R-NJ).  Johnson also discussed the importance of this legislation during meetings with staffers for the following members of Congress:  Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA); Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); Senator Mark Begich (D-AK); Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA) (House Majority Leader); Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) (House Judiciary Committee Chairman); Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ); and Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA).

Additionally, over the summer, NAPO met with staff members from Congressman George Miller’s (D-CA) office and Congressman John Kline’s (R-MN) office, as well as a professional staff member for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce to discuss NAPO’s support of the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act. (Congressmen Kline and Miller hold leadership positions on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.  Congressman Kline is the Committee’s Chairman and Congressman Miller is the Committee’s Senior Democratic Member). 

NAPO will continue to engage members of Congress to urge that this legislation be reintroduced during the 113th Congress.

If you have any questions about this legislation, please contact Melissa Nee at:  mnee@napo.org.