Anti-Worker Republicans Stall First Responders’ Rights Bill

by Mike Hall, May 22, 2008

Faced with a “filibuster-by-amendment” from a group of anti-worker Republicans, Senate Democratic leaders have delayed a final vote on legislation that would protect the collective bargaining rights of tens of thousands of firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians and other public safety officers.

More than 20 states do not fully protect the bargaining rights of firefighters and other first responders. Two states—Virginia and North Carolina—prohibit public safety employees from collectively bargaining.

On May 13, the Senate killed a filibuster, led by several extreme anti-worker Republican senators, to block consideration of the workers’ rights bill. Eighteen Republicans voted to end that filibuster. But hard-core opponents of the bill mapped out a strategy of delaying final passage by offering amendment after amendment to weaken the collective bargaining legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) decided to delay further debate on the bill, until an agreement can be worked out with Republican leaders on the number of amendments that will be offered.

Last week Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) said:

Our nation’s fire fighters and other first responders protect our families, our communities and our nation. They deserve this basic legislation, and we owe it to them to get this bill signed into law. The [Fire Fighters] IAFF has worked tirelessly for years to make it happen. We’re close to the finish line at long last, and we won’t stop until we get the job done.

The bill, the Public Safety Employee-Employer Cooperation Act of 2007 (H.R. 980), guarantees first responders:

• The right to join a union.
• The right to have their union recognized by their employer.
• The right to bargain collectively over hours, wages and terms and conditions of employment.
• A fact-finding, mediation or arbitration process for resolving an impasse in negotiations.
• Enforcement of these rights, and of written contracts, through state courts.

Sam Cabral, president of the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA), said the bill grants:

collective bargaining rights to public safety workers that the federal government granted to most other workers in this country long ago, allowing them to discuss the best ways to perform their duties with their commanders as well as educate civilian officials.IAFF President Harold Schaitbeger said he is hopeful a Senate agreement can be reached in the coming weeks. Last year, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill, but it still faces a veto threat from President Bush.

Said Schaitberger:

We will not rest until this legislation is passed and every fire fighter has collective bargaining.

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