Public Safety Collective Bargaining Bill Reintroduced in House
February 3, 2009
The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (H.R. 413), a bill that would establish collective bargaining rights for public safety workers including police officers has been reintroduced in the U.S. House or Representatives by Representatives Dale Kildee (D-MI) and John Duncan (R-TN).
The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act failed to be enacted into law in the 110th Congress when the bill stalled in the Senate after a procedural move made by the bill’s opponents. The bill passed the House by a 314-97 vote in July of 2007.
H.R. 413 would grant public safety officers minimum collective bargaining rights in states that currently don’t have them. The legislation 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, it does not infringe on right-to-work laws, and it does not interfere with existing state laws and collective bargaining agreements.