U.S. House Approves Collective Bargaining for Fire Fighters, Police, and Public Safety Employees

On Tuesday, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 980, known as the Public Safety Cooperation Act of 2007, to extend collective bargaining to public safety employees in all 50 states. H.R. 980 supported by a majority (314 to 97) will give collective bargaining to police officers, firefighters and other public safety officers. The U.S. Senate will now deliberate on the bill.

The Public Safety Cooperation Act of 2007 extends the right of collective bargaining to public safety workers in all states. Currently, public safety workers in at least twenty states face state laws that limit their abilities to collectively bargain. If H.R. 980 passes the Senate and is approved by the president, it will guarantee the rights of public safety employees in all states to by According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, the bill assures four basic rights for firefighters (and for other public safety employees):

"(1) The right to organize, form a union and be recognized as the exclusive representative for employees within a specific fire department. (2) The right to bargain with a respective public employer over wages and other terms and conditions of employment. (3) The right to have a neutral third party assist in mediating any disputed issues. (4) And, the right to reduce negotiated agreements into a binding, legally enforceable contract."

The bill had strong bipartisan support. The primary sponsor of the bill was Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI). He has worked on the bill since 1995. His Republican co-sponsor and collaborator was Rep. John J. Duncan (R-TN). Over 280 members sponsored the bill, 70 Republicans were among the sponsors. Of the 12,900 bills deliberated on by this Congress, it was one of 12 to attain a majority.