Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007 Finds Key Support In Congress

Hearings recently were held in Washington, D.C. on an important piece of proposed public sector collective bargaining legislation called the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007. Introduced by Representative Dale Kildee (D-MI), H.R. 980 would establish a national system of collective bargaining for most of the nation’s public safety officers, including but not limited to, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other emergency service personnel employed by state and local governments (but excluding employees who hold similar positions with the federal government). Currently, H.R. 980 has over 230 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. There are indications that H.R. 980 has a fairly good chance of passing both Houses of Congress. Less clear is whether the current administration would veto the bill and/or if Congress has the votes to override any such veto.