While Congress has always given states and municipalities ample leeway to manage their own staff, ensuring that public safety officials have basic collective bargaining rights is consistent with the growing role of the public safety community in protecting our nation`s homeland security. A bill to extend basic collective bargaining rights to firefighters and emergency medical personnel in all 50 states was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by D-MI and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The bipartisan Law on The Cooperation of Firefighters and Employees of EMS Employers, HR 2586, is expected to be brought forward in the coming months by the House Education and Labor Committee and the entire House of Representatives. Firefighters and police benefit from productive partnerships between employers and employees. Studies have shown that communities that encourage such collaboration benefit from more effective and efficient delivery of emergency services. Collaboration allows employers and workers to join forces to address the difficult budget constraints that proved invaluable as the country recovered from the last economic crisis. The best way to ensure such cooperation is to establish a framework for collective bargaining. The introduction of the bill is a crucial next step in the IAFF`s ongoing commitment to fight for the fundamental collective bargaining rights of all firefighters and emergency medical personnel. We will continue to provide updates as the Cooperation Act moves forward in Congress. Abstract: The Cooperation Act would guarantee basic collective bargaining rights to public safety officers in states that do not currently grant them.

Many IAFF members live in jurisdictions where these rights currently exist, but are far from being seriously threatened. This legislation will serve as a safety net for those whose rights could be taken away, while respecting state laws already in place. Nothing in the Cooperation Act would replace state laws that go beyond the provisions of the Act. This law also includes members who work every day in jurisdictions that do not offer full bargaining rights, an indispensable standard for cooperation between employers and employees. Although many public safety officials already benefit from local collective bargaining laws, many workers still have no rights or whose laws do not provide adequate protection. Over the years, Congress has expanded the scope of collective bargaining laws to protect private sector employees, transportation workers, federal government employees, and congressional employees. One of the few groups of workers not covered by federal law are employees of state and local governments, including public safety officials. The legislation does not allow strikes or lockouts, does not violate the right to work and does not interfere with existing national laws and collective agreements. The Law on Cooperation between Employers and Employees in the Field of Public Security would grant public security officers basic collective bargaining rights in states that do not currently grant them. The legislation gives states great flexibility to draft and manage their own laws that meet the following minimum standards: “Firefighters and emergency medical personnel deserve to have a say in their own health and safety and that of the people they protect,” said President General Edward Kelly. “This important piece of legislation will ensure that we protect our members and their families in all 50 states, including the nearly 80,000 firefighters and rescue workers who currently have no such rights, and will provide a much-needed voice for our hard-working members who dedicate their careers to keeping their communities safe. The Cooperation Act sets out five essential rights for all workers, including the right to form and join a trade union; have a contract; ensure that the treaty is implemented; negotiations on wages, hours of work and terms and conditions of employment; and have a dispute settlement mechanism.

Under the bill, states that do not respect these fundamental rights have two years to do so. The Federal Labour Relations Authority, an agency with a proven track record in dealing with labour disputes, is then responsible for ensuring that workers are granted the necessary rights. Senate: Employer-Public Safety Employee Cooperation Act of 2019 Sponsor: Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) The Cooperation Act enjoys broad bipartisan support while protecting state rights The Cooperation Act is a matter of fairness to public safety The AIP strongly supports the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act and encourages members of Congress to support the bill. The Cooperation Act Strengthens Public Safety in Retirement and Salaries House: HR 1154, Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2019 Sponsors: Representative Dan Kildee (D-MI); Representing Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). . . .

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