CWA Presses Senate on Bargaining Rights for Public Safety Officers

The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, S. 1611, which would provide collective bargaining rights for public safety officers, has bi-partisan support and even a number of Republican Senator co-sponsors.

But so far, obstructionist tactics and Senate gridlock have kept this legislation from becoming law. CWA represents about 22,000 public safety officers, many in the 25 states that don’t provide officers with collective bargaining rights.

CWA’s Legislative Political Action Teams geared up right away in the post-election legislative session to mobilize CWAers to call and write their Senators on this important measure. CWAers asked Senators to allow this bi-partisan bill to be brought to the floor for a “yes or no” vote in the closing weeks of the 111th Congress.

The House passed the bill in July, attached to a spending measure, but Senate Republicans threatened to filibuster that entire spending package unless the bargaining rights language was stripped out. In the Senate, the bill has been stalled by filibuster abuse time and again, despite having six Republican co-sponsors.

CWA President Larry Cohen has said this legislation is an important goal for our entire union and is likely the only opportunity now to extend bargaining rights for workers.

Although Democrats will still control the Senate when the 112th Congress convenes in January, Republicans will control the House. And GOP leadership there “will never let this bill come up for a vote,” said CWA Legislative Director Shane Larson. “That’s why we need the Senate to act now.”

Go to http://cwa-union.org/pscb to check the status of the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act.