[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 77 (Monday, May 12, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3991-S3992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I wish to discuss briefly the matter of 
the collective bargaining for our firefighters and public safety 
employees. I am an original cosponsor of S. 2123. Decker Ploehn, the 
city administrator in Bettendorf, Iowa, wrote me:

       I have represented both sides of the table [he was police 
     chief at one time] and for the last 18 years have 
     successfully negotiated 5 contracts with our police union 
     because of strong good collective bargaining laws in Iowa. 
     This system has great checks and balances with binding 
     arbitration and a ``no strike'' clause. It causes both sides 
     to come to the table and to make meaningful concessions. We 
     have done so in Bettendorf quite successfully. That is all 
     we're asking for with this legislation--to give public safety 
     officers elsewhere this kind of opportunity.

  Many of our Federal workers, such as Capitol Police, Border Patrol 
agents, Customs agents, immigration enforcement officers, have the 
right of collective bargaining. It helps them to serve our Nation's 
security interests.
  Again, it is time that we provide this now to the 21 States where our 
public safety people are not allowed to bargain collectively. This bill 
passed the House by 314 to 97. Hopefully, it will pass the Senate with 
an equally large vote.
  If you ask any safety officer, they will tell you that they want the 
tools to do the best job that they can do. These are not the kinds of 
jobs that people take to get rich. Public safety workers have a 
different calling--they want to serve their communities. These are the 
kind of people who showed up from all over the country to help the 
victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001. Without concern for

[[Page S3992]]

their personal safety or compensation, our Nation's first responders 
are always there for us. That is why they need a seat at the table to 
discuss their equipment, training, and staffing needs in order to do 
the best possible job.
  That is why I am an original cosponsor of S. 2123, Public Safety 
Employer-Employee Cooperation Act. Not only will this legislation allow 
police officers and firefighters to band together and share their ideas 
about how to improve their workplace and therefore our safety, but when 
they can negotiate for good pay and benefits, we are able to attract 
the best possible workforce to most ably serve its citizens. This bill 
would only affect the 21 states that don't already provide their public 
safety officers with the right to bargain collectively. States that do 
not currently provide these protections can choose to establish their 
own collective bargaining systems, or may ask the assistance of the 
Federal Labor Relations Authority in doing so.
  As I mentioned, Decker Ploehn is the city administrator in 
Bettendorf, IA. I followed him around on a work day back when he was 
the chief of police there. He contacted my office last week to talk 
about this bill. He said:

       I have represented both sides of the table and for the last 
     18 years have successfully negotiated 5 contracts with our 
     police union because of strong good collective bargaining 
     laws in Iowa. This system has great checks and balances with 
     binding arbitration and a ``no strike'' clause. It causes 
     both sides to come to the table and to make meaningful 
     concessions. We have done so in Bettendorf quite 
     successfully.

  That's all we are asking for with this legislation--to give public 
safety officers elsewhere this kind of opportunity.
  I would also like to point out that this bill doesn't create a new 
right to strike. I know there will be some vehement antiunion forces 
out there scaring people into thinking that somehow this legislation 
will reduce public safety by creating a situation where police and 
firefighters will be leaving their posts in labor disputes. It is 
simply not true.
  We must ensure that we have seasoned, dedicated officers by giving 
them a voice in the workplace. The best way to do that is to uphold 
their freedom of association, which will enhance the safety of millions 
of Americans who rely on their services every day. As I said, similar 
legislation has passed the House by a vote of 314 to 97, and I am 
hopeful that Congress will soon approve this issue of basic fairness 
and freedom.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Alabama.

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