A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE STRUGGLE FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

FEDERAL LEVEL

H.R. 980 Public Safety Employer – Employee Cooperation Act

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. Such cooperation, however, is undermined in states that do not provide public safety employees with the fundamental right to bargain with their employers.

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 a federal law is state and local government employees, including public safety officers.

While Congress has historically given states and localities wide latitude in managing their own employees, the increasing role of the public safety community in homeland security creates an obligation for the federal government to ensure that public safety officers have basic collective bargaining rights.

CURRENT LEGISLATION

U.S. House:  H.R. 980, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act
                        Sponsors:    Representative Dale Kildee (D-MI)
                                                Representative John Duncan (R-TN)

Summary:     H.R. 980 would grant public safety officers minimum collective bargaining rights in states where they don’t have them already.  The bill would establish minimum standards for state collective bargaining laws, including:

    •  the right of public safety officers to bargain over wages, hours and
                    working conditions;
               •   a dispute resolution mechanism, such as fact finding or mediation; 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. 980

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION

On February 12, 2007, H.R. 980 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and referred to the Committee on Education and Labor.

On June 5, 2007, the House Committee on Education and Labor’s Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions held a hearing on H.R. 980.

On June 20, 2007, the House Committee on Education and Labor approved H.R. 980 by a vote of 42-1. 

On July 17, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 980 by a vote of 314-97.  To see how your Representative voted, click here:  Collective Bargaining Vote

The Senate version of the legislation will be introduced by Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA). 

In Missouri:

Congressmen Clay (D) 1^st, Carnahan (D) 3^rd, Skelton (D) 4^th, Cleaver (D) 5^th, Graves (R) 6^th  and Congresswoman Emerson (R) 8^th , all Co-Sponsored the Bill and Congressman Hulshof (R) 8^th voted Yes for the Bill; Congressman Blunt agreed to not Whip the Bill, which lent support as well.