Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Public Safety Employer- Employee Cooperation Act. I have been a cosponsor of this legislation in previous Congresses, and I am pleased that the bill, which I first joined several years ago in cosponsoring, is finally coming to the Senate floor. This bill would ensure that the people we most count on to protect and serve the public--our firefighters, our police officers, our emergency medical personnel, and other first responders--can exercise their rights to organize and bargain collectively with their employers. Currently, 20 American States do not effectively provide for this right despite the fact that it applies across nearly every other area of the American economy. All first responders should have an effective process to address job issues and practices with the State and local governments they serve. Now, some have argued that this bill interferes with the proper authority of States and municipalities, but, in fact, the bill simply requires States to allow public safety officers to bargain over wages, hours, and working conditions. My State of Maine has a very similar law in place already. This bill does not in any way dictate outcomes of this process. It gives State--not Federal--courts the authority to enforce contract rights that arise from collective bargaining. I also wish to emphasize that the bill does not authorize actions that might threaten public safety. In fact, it prohibits both strikes and walkouts.”