FEDERALIZED COLLECTIVE BARGAINING?
On October 1, 2007, S. 2123, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, was introduced in the United States Senate and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. This bill is nearly identical to H.R. 980 (please see the July 27, 2007, TML Legislative Update) and would essentially federalize state and local government labor-management relations by granting collective bargaining rights to all state and local public safety officers (law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel).
S. 2123 is a costly unfunded mandate that will harm state and local public safety agencies by forcing them to divert their limited resources from protecting the public to the administration of federal collective bargaining. City officials are urged to write to our U.S. senators and express their opposition to S. 2123.
| SENATOR KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON 284 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 202-224-5922 202-224-0776 (FAX) 202-224-5903 (TTD) |
SENATOR JOHN CORNYN 517 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 202-224-2934 202-228-2856 (FAX) |