[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 12, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3623-S3626]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GREGG (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Harkin, 
        Mr. Smith, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Collins, Mr. Bingaman, Ms. Snowe, 
        Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Corzine, Mr. Dayton, Mr. 
        Durbin, and Mr. Daschle):
  S. 606. A bill to provide collective bargaining rights for public 
safety officers employed by States or their political subdivisions; to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, today, I am pleased to be joined by 
Senators Kennedy, DeWine, Harkin, Smith, Mikulski, Collins, Bingaman, 
Snowe, Sarbanes, Kerry, Bayh, Corzine, and Dayton in introducing the 
Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2003. This 
legislation would extend to firefighters and police officers the right 
to discuss workplace issues with their employers.
  With the enactment of the Congressional Accountability Act, State and 
local government employees remain the only sizable segment of workers 
left in America who do not have the basic right to enter into 
collective bargaining agreements with their employers. While most 
States do provide some collective bargaining rights for their public 
employees, others do not.
  Studies have shown that communities which promote such cooperation 
enjoy much more effective and efficient delivery of emergency services.

[[Page S3624]]

Such cooperation, however, is not possible in the States that do not 
provide public safety employees with the fundamental right to bargain 
with their employers.
  The legislation I am introducing today is balanced in its recognition 
of the unique situation and obligation of public safety officers. To 
accomplish this the bill: 1. Requires States, within 2 years, to 
guarantee the right of public safety officers to form and voluntarily 
join a union to bargain collectively over hours, wages and conditions 
of employment; 2. Protects the right of public safety officers to form, 
join, or assist any labor organization or to refrain from any such 
activity, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal; 3. Prohibits 
the use of strikes, lockouts, sickouts, work slowdowns or any other 
action that is designed to compel an employer, officer or labor 
organization to agree to the terms of a proposed contract and that will 
measurably disrupt the delivery of services; 4. Continues to allow 
States to enforce right-to-work laws which prohibit employers and labor 
organizations from negotiating labor agreements that require union 
membership or payment of union fees as a condition of employment; 5. 
Preserves the right of management to not bargain over issues 
traditionally reserved for management level decisions; 6. Exempts all 
states with a State bargaining law for public safety officers that are 
equal to or greater than the rights granted under Federal law; 7. Gives 
States the option to exempt from coverage subdivisions with populations 
of less than 5,000 or fewer than 25 full time employees.
  Labor-management partnerships, which are built upon bargaining 
relationships, result in improved public safety. Employer-employee 
cooperation contains the promise of saving the taxpayer money by 
enabling workers to give input as to the most efficient way to provide 
services. In fact, States that currently give firefighters the right to 
discuss workplace issues actually have lower fire department budgets 
than States without those laws.
  The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2003 will put 
firefighters and law enforcement officers on equal footing with other 
employees and provide them with the fundamental right to negotiate with 
employers over such basic issues as hours, wages, and workplace 
conditions.
  I urge its adoption and ask unanimous consent that the text of this 
bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 606

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Public Safety Employer-
     Employee Cooperation Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. DECLARATION OF PURPOSE AND POLICY.

       The Congress declares that the following is the policy of 
     the United States:
       (1) Labor-management relationships and partnerships are 
     based on trust, mutual respect, open communication, bilateral 
     consensual problem solving, and shared accountability. Labor-
     management cooperation fully utilizes the strengths of both 
     parties to best serve the interests of the public, operating 
     as a team, to carry out the public safety mission in a 
     quality work environment. In many public safety agencies it 
     is the union that provides the institutional stability as 
     elected leaders and appointees come and go.
       (2) The Federal Government needs to encourage conciliation, 
     mediation, and voluntary arbitration to aid and encourage 
     employers and their employees to reach and maintain 
     agreements concerning rates of pay, hours, and working 
     conditions, and to make all reasonable efforts through 
     negotiations to settle their differences by mutual agreement 
     reached through collective bargaining or by such methods as 
     may be provided for in any applicable agreement for the 
     settlement of disputes.
       (3) The absence of adequate cooperation between public 
     safety employers and employees has implications for the 
     security of employees and can affect interstate and 
     intrastate commerce. The lack of such labor-management 
     cooperation can detrimentally impact the upgrading of police 
     and fire services of local communities, the health and well-
     being of public safety officers, and the morale of the fire 
     and police departments. Additionally, these factors could 
     have significant commercial repercussions. Moreover, 
     providing minimal standards for collective bargaining 
     negotiations in the public safety sector can prevent 
     industrial strife between labor and management that 
     interferes with the normal flow of commerce.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Authority.--The term ``Authority'' means the Federal 
     Labor Relations Authority.
       (2) Emergency medical services personnel.--The term 
     ``emergency medical services personnel'' means an individual 
     who provides out-of-hospital emergency medical care, 
     including an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or 
     first responder.
       (3) Employer; public safety agency.--The terms ``employer'' 
     and ``public safety agency'' mean any State, political 
     subdivision of a State, the District of Columbia, or any 
     territory or possession of the United States that employs 
     public safety officers.
       (4) Firefighter.--The term ``firefighter'' has the meaning 
     given the term ``employee engaged in fire protection 
     activities'' in section 3(y) of the Fair Labor Standards Act 
     (29 U.S.C. 203(y)).
       (5) Labor organization.--The term ``labor organization'' 
     means an organization composed in whole or in part of 
     employees, in which employees participate, and which 
     represents such employees before public safety agencies 
     concerning grievances, conditions of employment and related 
     matters.
       (6) Law enforcement officer.--The term ``law enforcement 
     officer'' has the meaning given such term in section 1204(5) 
     of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 
     U.S.C. 3796b(5)).
       (7) Management employee.--The term ``management employee'' 
     has the meaning given such term under applicable State law in 
     effect on the date of enactment of this Act. If no such State 
     law is in effect, the term means an individual employed by a 
     public safety employer in a position that requires or 
     authorizes the individual to formulate, determine, or 
     influence the policies of the employer.
       (8) Public safety officer.--The term ``public safety 
     officer''--
       (A) means an employee of a public safety agency who is a 
     law enforcement officer, a firefighter, or an emergency 
     medical services personnel;
       (B) includes an individual who is temporarily transferred 
     to a supervisory or management position; and
       (C) does not include a permanent supervisory or management 
     employee.
       (9) Substantially provides.--The term ``substantially 
     provides'' means compliance with the essential requirements 
     of this Act, specifically, the right to form and join a labor 
     organization, the right to bargain over wages, hours, and 
     conditions of employment, the right to sign an enforceable 
     contract, and availability of some form of mechanism to break 
     an impasse, such as arbitration, mediation, or fact finding.
       (10) Supervisory employee.--The term ``supervisory 
     employee'' has the meaning given such term under applicable 
     State law in effect on the date of enactment of this Act. If 
     no such State law is in effect, the term means an individual, 
     employed by a public safety employer, who--
       (A) has the authority in the interest of the employer to 
     hire, direct, assign, promote, reward, transfer, furlough, 
     lay off, recall, suspend, discipline, or remove public safety 
     officers, to adjust their grievances, or to effectively 
     recommend such action, if the exercise of the authority is 
     not merely routine or clerical in nature but requires the 
     consistent exercise of independent judgment; and
       (B) devotes a majority of time at work exercising such 
     authority.

     SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

       (a) Determination.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Authority shall make a 
     determination as to whether a State substantially provides 
     for the rights and responsibilities described in subsection 
     (b). In making such determinations, the Authority shall 
     consider and give weight, to the maximum extent practicable, 
     to the opinion of affected parties.
       (2) Subsequent determinations.--
       (A) In general.--A determination made pursuant to paragraph 
     (1) shall remain in effect unless and until the Authority 
     issues a subsequent determination, in accordance with the 
     procedures set forth in subparagraph (B).
       (B) Procedures for subsequent determinations.--Upon 
     establishing that a material change in State law or its 
     interpretation has occurred, an employer or a labor 
     organization may submit a written request for a subsequent 
     determination. If satisfied that a material change in State 
     law or its interpretation has occurred, the Director shall 
     issue a subsequent determination not later than 30 days after 
     receipt of such request.
       (3) Judicial review.--Any State, political subdivision of a 
     State, or person aggrieved by a determination of the 
     Authority under this section may, during the 60 day period 
     beginning on the date on which the determination was made, 
     petition any United States Court of Appeals in the circuit in 
     which the person resides or transacts business or in the 
     District of Columbia circuit, for judicial review. In any 
     judicial review of a determination by the Authority, the 
     procedures contained in subsections (c) and (d) of section 
     7123 of title 5, United States Code, shall be followed, 
     except that any final determination of the Authority with 
     respect to questions of fact or law shall be found to be 
     conclusive unless the court determines that the Authority's 
     decision was arbitrary and capricious.
       (b) Rights and Responsibilities.--In making a determination 
     described in subsection (a), the Authority shall consider 
     whether

[[Page S3625]]

     State law provides rights and responsibilities comparable to 
     or greater than the following:
       (1) Granting public safety officers the right to form and 
     join a labor organization, which may exclude management and 
     supervisory employees, that is, or seeks to be, recognized as 
     the exclusive bargaining representative of such employees.
       (2) Requiring public safety employers to recognize the 
     employees' labor organization (freely chosen by a majority of 
     the employees), to agree to bargain with the labor 
     organization, and to commit any agreements to writing in a 
     contract or memorandum of understanding.
       (3) Permitting bargaining over hours, wages, and terms and 
     conditions of employment.
       (4) Requiring an interest impasse resolution mechanism, 
     such as fact-finding, mediation, arbitration or comparable 
     procedures.
       (5) Requiring enforcement through State courts of--
       (A) all rights, responsibilities, and protections provided 
     by State law and enumerated in this section; and
       (B) any written contract or memorandum of understanding.
       (c) Failure To Meet Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--If the Authority determines, acting 
     pursuant to its authority under subsection (a), that a State 
     does not substantially provide for the rights and 
     responsibilities described in subsection (b), such State 
     shall be subject to the regulations and procedures described 
     in section 5.
       (2) Effective date.--Paragraph (1) shall take effect on the 
     date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 5. ROLE OF FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Authority shall issue regulations 
     in accordance with the rights and responsibilities described 
     in section 4(b) establishing collective bargaining procedures 
     for public safety employers and officers in States which the 
     Authority has determined, acting pursuant to its authority 
     under section 4(a), do not substantially provide for such 
     rights and responsibilities.
       (b) Role of the Federal Labor Relations Authority.--The 
     Authority, to the extent provided in this Act and in 
     accordance with regulations prescribed by the Authority, 
     shall--
       (1) determine the appropriateness of units for labor 
     organization representation;
       (2) supervise or conduct elections to determine whether a 
     labor organization has been selected as an exclusive 
     representative by a majority of the employees in an 
     appropriate unit;
       (3) resolve issues relating to the duty to bargain in good 
     faith;
       (4) conduct hearings and resolve complaints of unfair labor 
     practices;
       (5) resolve exceptions to the awards of arbitrators;
       (6) protect the right of each employee to form, join, or 
     assist any labor organization, or to refrain from any such 
     activity, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal, and 
     protect each employee in the exercise of such right; and
       (7) take such other actions as are necessary and 
     appropriate to effectively administer this Act, including 
     issuing subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of 
     witnesses and the production of documentary or other evidence 
     from any place in the United States, and administering oaths, 
     taking or ordering the taking of depositions, ordering 
     responses to written interrogatories, and receiving and 
     examining witnesses.
       (c) Enforcement.--
       (1) Authority to petition court.--The Authority may 
     petition any United States Court of Appeals with jurisdiction 
     over the parties, or the United States Court of Appeals for 
     the District of Columbia Circuit, to enforce any final orders 
     under this section, and for appropriate temporary relief or a 
     restraining order. Any petition under this section shall be 
     conducted in accordance with subsections (c) and (d) of 
     section 7123 of title 5, United States Code, except that any 
     final order of the Authority with respect to questions of 
     fact or law shall be found to be conclusive unless the court 
     determines that the Authority's decision was arbitrary and 
     capricious.
       (2) Private right of action.--Unless the Authority has 
     filed a petition for enforcement as provided in paragraph 
     (1), any party has the right to file suit in a State court of 
     competent jurisdiction to enforce compliance with the 
     regulations issued by the Authority pursuant to subsection 
     (b), and to enforce compliance with any order issued by the 
     Authority pursuant to this section. The right provided by 
     this subsection to bring a suit to enforce compliance with 
     any order issued by the Authority pursuant to this section 
     shall terminate upon the filing of a petition seeking the 
     same relief by the Authority.

     SEC. 6. STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS PROHIBITED.

       A public safety employer, officer, or labor organization 
     may not engage in a lockout, sickout, work slowdown, or 
     strike or engage in any other action that is designed to 
     compel an employer, officer, or labor organization to agree 
     to the terms of a proposed contract and that will measurably 
     disrupt the delivery of emergency services, except that it 
     shall not be a violation of this section for an employer, 
     officer, or labor organization to refuse to provide services 
     not required by the terms and conditions of an existing 
     contract.

     SEC. 7. EXISTING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNITS AND AGREEMENTS.

       A certification, recognition, election-held, collective 
     bargaining agreement or memorandum of understanding which has 
     been issued, approved, or ratified by any public employee 
     relations board or commission or by any State or political 
     subdivision or its agents (management officials) in effect on 
     the day before the date of enactment of this Act shall not be 
     invalidated by the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 8. CONSTRUCTION AND COMPLIANCE.

       (a) Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed--
       (1) to invalidate or limit the remedies, rights, and 
     procedures of any law of any State or political subdivision 
     of any State or jurisdiction that provides collective 
     bargaining rights for public safety officers that are equal 
     to or greater than the rights provided under this Act;
       (2) to prevent a State from enforcing a right-to-work law 
     that prohibits employers and labor organizations from 
     negotiating provisions in a labor agreement that require 
     union membership or payment of union fees as a condition of 
     employment;
       (3) to invalidate any State law in effect on the date of 
     enactment of this Act that substantially provides for the 
     rights and responsibilities described in section 4(b) solely 
     because such State law permits an employee to appear on his 
     or her own behalf with respect to his or her employment 
     relations with the public safety agency involved; or
       (4) to permit parties subject to the National Labor 
     Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) and the regulations 
     under such Act to negotiate provisions that would prohibit an 
     employee from engaging in part-time employment or volunteer 
     activities during off-duty hours; or
       (5) to prohibit a State from exempting from coverage under 
     this Act a political subdivision of the State that has a 
     population of less than 5,000 or that employs less than 25 
     full time employees.
     For purposes of paragraph (5), the term ``employee'' includes 
     each and every individual employed by the political 
     subdivision except any individual elected by popular vote or 
     appointed to serve on a board or commission.
       (b) Compliance.--No State shall preempt laws or ordinances 
     of any of its political subdivisions if such laws provide 
     collective bargaining rights for public safety officers that 
     are equal to or greater than the rights provided under this 
     Act.

     SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
     necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I am honored today to join Senator Gregg 
in introducing the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 
2003.
  This bill is an important bipartisan effort to help protect our 
Nation's public safety officers on the job. The events of September 11 
made clear that our Nation's true heroes are our fire fighters, police 
officers, and emergency medical technicians. We will never forget the 
sacrifices they made at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The 
photographs of tired, dust-covered, fire fighters confronting the 
unimaginable horror of that day are permanently emblazoned in our 
minds.
  Thousands of public safety officers throughout the country serve in 
some of the country's most dangerous, strenuous and stressful jobs 
today. Every year, more than 80,000 police officers and 75,000 
firefighters are injured on the job. An average of 160 police officers 
and nearly 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year. It is a 
matter of basic fairness to give these courageous men and women the 
same rights that have long been enjoyed by other workers.
  For more than 60 years, collective bargaining has enabled labor and 
management to work together to improve job conditions and increase 
productivity. Through collective bargaining, labor and management have 
led the way together on many important improvements in today's 
workplace--especially with regard to health and pension benefits, paid 
holidays and sick leave, and workplace safety.
  Collective bargaining in the public sector, once a controversial 
issue, is now widely accepted. It has been widespread, since at least 
1962, when President Kennedy signed an Executive order granting these 
basic rights to Federal employees. Congressional employees have had 
these rights since enactment of the Congressional Accountability Act 
almost a decade ago. It is long past time for State and local 
government employees to have Federal protection for the basic right to 
participate in collective bargaining agreements with their employers.
  The bill we are introducing today extends this protection to 
firefighters, police officers, correctional officers,

[[Page S3626]]

paramedics and emergency medical technicians. The bill guarantees the 
fundamental rights necessary for collective bargaining--the right to 
form and join a union; the right to bargain over hours, wages and 
working conditions; the right to sign legally enforceable contracts; 
and the right to a means to resolve impasses in negotiations.
  The benefits of this bill are clear and compelling. It will lead to 
safer working conditions for public safety officers. States that lack 
these collective bargaining laws have death rates for fire fighters 
nearly double the rate in States in which such bargaining takes place. 
In 1993, fire fighters in nine of the 10 States with the highest fire 
fighter death rates did not have collective bargaining protection. 
Because public safety employees serve on the front lines in providing 
firefighting services, law enforcement services, and emergency medical 
services, they know what it takes to create safer working conditions. 
They should have a voice in decisions that can literally make a life-
or-death difference on the job.
  This bill will benefit all of us, not just public safety officers. 
When workers who actually do the job are able to provide advice on 
their working conditions, there are fewer injuries, increased morale, 
better information on new technologies, and more efficient ways to 
provide the services, all of which improve the safety and security of 
the communities that our public safety officers serve.
  This bill will also save money for States and local communities. 
Experience has shown that when public safety officers can discuss 
workplace conditions with management, partnerships and cooperation 
develop and lead to improved labor-management relations and better, 
more cost-effective services. A study by the International Association 
of Fire Fighters shows that States and municipalities that give 
firefighters the right to discuss workplace issues have lower fire 
department budgets than States without such laws.
  This bill accomplishes its goals in a reasonable way. It requires 
that public safety officers be given the opportunity to bargain 
collectively, but it does not require that employers adopt agreements, 
and it does not regulate the content of any agreements that are 
reached.
  In States with collective bargaining laws that substantially provide 
the modest minimum standards in the bill--as a majority of States 
already do--those States will be unaffected by this legislation. Where 
States do not have such laws, they may choose to enact them, or to 
allow the Federal Labor Relations Authority to establish procedures for 
bargaining between public safety officers and their employers. This 
approach respects existing State laws, and gives each state the 
authority to choose the way in which it will comply with the 
requirements of this legislation. States will have full discretion to 
make decisions on the implementation and enforcement of the basic 
rights set forth in this proposal.
  This amendment will not supersede State laws which already adequately 
provide for the exercise of--or are more protective of--collective 
bargaining rights by public safety officers. It is a matter of basic 
fairness for these courageous men and women to have the same rights 
that have long been enjoyed by other workers. They put their lives on 
the line to protect us every day. They deserve to have an effective 
voice on the job, and I urge the Senate to approve this important 
bipartisan legislation.
                                 ______