|
Legislation & Politics | ||
Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Safety OfficersMarch 27, 2007 Dear Representative: On behalf of the 1.4 million members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the over 150,000 public safety officers that we represent throughout the country, I urge you to cosponsor the Public Safety Officer Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (H.R. 980) that would establish state minimum collective bargaining standards for police, emergency medical technicians, corrections officers and firefighters. Public safety agencies benefit from constructive relationships with their public safety officers. In fact, local communities also benefit by a more efficient delivery of safety and emergency services. This type of cooperation is promoted by providing public safety employees with the fundamental right to bargain with their employers. The terrorist threat our nation continues to be under calls for federal intervention in matters of public safety. Public safety officers, who are an integral part of fighting the war on terror at home, deserve the same right to discuss workplace issues with their employer that the federal government already grants to most other employees. The Public Safety Officers Employer-Employee Cooperation Act which establishes minimum standards of collective bargaining and dispute resolution would: • set forth the right of public safety officers to bargain over wages, hours, and working conditions; |
 |
||
.gif)
