Tell House Appropriations Cmte to Restore Contract Rights to State, Local Employees

A bill to repeal GS95-98 has made it further than any prior attempts to restore contract rights for public employees. HB 1583 is now before the House Appropriations Committee, having successfully made it out of its first committee earlier in July.

Repeal opponents never expected the bill to make it this far, and they are pulling out all the stops to persuade the Appropriations Committee to kill it. Business, sheriffs, and municipality associations are flooding lawmakers with anti-repeal messages. We need urgently to make sure lawmakers are hearing from us, too! Use this form to send them your message, today!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Support HB 1583 and End the Ban on Collective Bargaining

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

It is time for North Carolina to repeal the 50 year-old law that prohibits state and local governments from entering into contracts with their employees. House Bill 1583 is a modest measure that would do just that, and it is deserving of your full support.

HB 1583 does NOT require governments to enter into contracts or meet with their workers to discuss their pay and working conditions - it simply gives governments the option.

In its July 9 editorial, the Fayetteville Observer argued that "Abolishing the ban is the right thing to do [because] all North Carolina residents deserve the right to bargain, even if the right isn't exercised."

Passage of HB 1583 would be a win for good, responsible government in North Carolina. I strongly urge you to vote 'YES' on HB 1583 when it comes up for a vote in the Appropriations Committee.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
July 18, 2007

Background Information

Repeal of GS95-98 would allow governments in North Carolina to decide for themselves whether or not to enter into contracts with their employees. Rep. Dan Blue has introduced House Bill 1583, which would end the bargaining ban.

Repeal is a major legislative priority of the NC State AFL-CIO, and HB 1583 has made it further than any effort in decades, having passed out of its first committee. The bill is now before the House Appropriations Committee, where it faces an uncertain future. Committee members, which include practically the entire House membership, need to hear from supporters of HB 1583 that the time for repeal is now.

GS 95-98 was adopted in 1959, over forty-five years ago, in response to an attempt by the Teamsters to organize the Charlotte police. This law is the most extreme of any collective bargaining legislation in the country. Today only North Carolina and Virginia have a complete ban on public employee collective bargaining.

Giving North Carolina public employees the right to collectively bargain is a matter of fairness. All private employees in the United States and the vast majority of public employees already have this right. Moreover, it is considered a basic right in most democracies and a fundamental human right by the United Nation's International Labor Organization (ILO). Since America is fighting for freedom all over the globe, workers in North Carolina should have the freedom to choose whether or not they want to have collective bargaining.

Removing the ban on public sector collective bargaining will have positive effects for not only for public employees but for state and local government, as well. Lower employee turnover is a boon to governments and citizens. In fact, in 2005, North Carolina's taxpayers paid $330 million to pay for state employee turnover costs alone. Governments keep more experienced employees and save on the cost of training new employees. More experienced employees deliver better services to citizens. Lower turnover and employment size means the costs of higher salaries and benefits are offset. All North Carolinians are winners.