Tell Your Senator to Support Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Safety Employees

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Tell Your Senator to Support Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Safety Employees

Legislation is pending before the U.S. House of Representatives that would secure collective bargaining rights for first responders and other public safety employees including corrections officers, police officers, firefighters and other emergency service personnel.

The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (H.R. 413) would ensure that first responders have collective bargaining rights in states and localities that currently fail to provide them. Granting bargaining rights in these jurisdictions is a crucial first step for securing collective bargaining for all public employees.

The legislation not only would help to improve local emergency response operations through adequate staffing, training and equipment, but also would ensure that frontline responders and other public safety employees are full partners with their employers in determining how best to protect their communities.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Support Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Safety Employees

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I write in strong support of H.R. 413, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act. I hope you will both co-sponsor this legislation and push for its immediate consideration on the floor.

This legislation would ensure collective bargaining rights for public safety officers--corrections officers, police officers and firefighters and others--in states and localities that do not currently provide these rights.

H.R. 413 would provide these employees with the right to bargain over their terms and conditions of employment and grant them basic employment protections they currently lack. This bill seeks to create a more formal process through which public safety officers can address working conditions with their employers. This undoubtedly will result in producing measurable improvements in staffing, training, equipment, health and safety throughout the nation's public safety infrastructure. Studies show that communities which promote collective bargaining have fewer fatalities of public safety employees.

Corrections officers, police officers, and emergency medical personnel risk their lives every day to protect the public. They deserve the right to bargain with employers over the terms of their employment and conditions of their workplaces. It is important that the federal government underscores this by granting collective bargaining rights to these dedicated public employees who currently do not enjoy such protections.

Please tell me where you stand on this legislation.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
June 30, 2008

Background Information

Cooperation between employees and their employers can be compromised in jurisdictions that do not provide public safety employees with the fundamental right to bargain over wages, hours and working conditions. Congress historically has given states and localities wide latitude in establishing the relationship with their public employees. However, the increasing role the public safety community plays in federal homeland security has created a compelling federal interest in ensuring that public safety employees have some basic collective bargaining rights. The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (H.R. 413) introduced by Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Michigan) recognizes this by granting basic collective bargaining standards that state laws must meet. It sets a basic threshold for workers’ rights including:

1. The right to bargain over wages, hours and working conditions;

2. A dispute resolution mechanism, such as a fact-finding or mediation; and

3. Enforcement of contracts through state courts.

States already providing collective bargaining rights that meet or exceed the basic standards established under the bill would be exempt from its provisions.

Labor-management partnerships strengthened by a collective bargaining relationship enhance public safety. Studies show that there are fewer fatalities among public safety employees in communities that have collective bargaining, and emergency services are delivered more efficiently in these communities.

Tell your Representative that now is the time to consider this vital legislation.

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