May 9, 2008  

U.S. Senate to Consider Mandatory Collective Bargaining for Local Governments

 

A vote to mandate collective bargaining for public safety employees is scheduled for Monday, May 12 in the U.S. Senate. The legislation, HR 980/S. 2123, titled the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act is opposed by MTA and National Association of Towns and Townships because it would give the federal government control over the collective bargaining process and the rules governing salaries, hours, benefits and conditions of employment at the local level regardless of our state constitution, state laws and local laws. The legislation would pre-empt local government authority by forcing local governments to negotiate with labor unions representing police, fire and emergency service workers over the terms and conditions of employment with labor.

 

Contact U.S. Sens. Levin and Stabenow and urge them to vote "No" on HR 980 and S. 2123. Use the following contact information to reach them as soon as possible:

 

Sen. Carl Levin Ph: (202) 224-6221 Fax: (202) 224-1388  E-mail through Web site: http://www.levin.senate.gov/contact/

 

Sen. Debbie Stabenow Ph: (202) 224-4822 Fax: (202) 228-0325 E-mail: http://stabenow.senate.gov/email.htm

 

Word out of the White House is that President Bush may veto any such legislation; however, we must contact our Michigan senators and ask that they oppose mandatory collective bargaining for local governments.

 

Please use the following talking points:

 

• The bills would "federalize" state and local employees by placing the federal government in charge of bargaining between employees and employers.
• The bills would pre-empt state and local authority to determine whether or not public sector employees, generally, and public safety officers, specifically, should be allowed to organize and collectively bargain.
• The fiscal impact of mandatory collective bargaining could be significant. Collective bargaining might force states and localities to increase taxes and other user fees to raise the funds necessary to cover salaries. Even if pension and retirement benefits are not subject to negotiation, increased salaries would result in higher payments to pension and retirement plans, resulting in a substantial fiscal impact.
• In order to meet salary and pension increases that result from collective bargaining, states, counties, cities and towns might be forced to reduce other services, such as trash collection and road maintenance, that are important to maintaining local communities.
• The bill grants rights to state and local employees that Congress is unwilling to grant to its own police force-specifically the right to negotiate around wages and hours.

(FYI:  Capitol police have the right to organize and negotiate certain parameters of their work, but not the right to negotiate hours and wages.)

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