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.
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