WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped introduce the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act to federally guarantee the right of law enforcement officials and other public employees to organize and collectively bargain. While Nevada has such protections for public employees, no federal law currently fully protects public sector workers’ freedom to join a union and collectively bargain for fair wages, benefits, and improved working conditions – unlike private sector workers.
“Nevada’s law enforcement officers, firefighters, teachers, and other public service employees work selflessly to serve communities across our state, and we must federally protect their right to organize for fair wages and better working conditions,” said Senator Rosen. “That’s why I’m proud to support this legislation to safeguard collective bargaining for these public servants and help uplift Nevada workers.”
“The Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers and the Nevada Law Enforcement Coalition stand with all public sector unions in support of the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act (PSFNA), to empower the Federal Labor Relations Authority to protect the rights of state, territorial, and local government employees to form unions, and to collectively bargain their wages, benefits and working conditions,” said Rick McCann, Government Affairs Director of the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers and the Nevada Law Enforcement Coalition. “Just as we do in Nevada, we want all public sector employees to have their unions recognized by their public employers, to have procedures for resolving any impasses in collective bargaining, and to have their rights enforced accordingly to state law.”
Specifically, the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act will provide the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) with the authority to determine whether a state, territory, or locality provides public employees and supervisors the right:
- To form, join, or assist a union, to bargain collectively, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid (including the filing of joint, class or collective legal claims) or protection;
- To have their union recognized by their public employer if the union is freely chosen by a majority of employees, to bargain with the employer through the union, and to commit their collective-bargaining agreement to writing;
- To be free from forced recertification elections of their already-recognized representative and decertification of their chosen representative within one year of an election or the expiration of a valid collective bargaining agreement;
- To have a procedure for resolving impasses in collective bargaining culminating in binding arbitration; and
- To authorize employers to deduct fees to the union from their payroll when employees consent.
This legislation is endorsed by over 20 major law enforcement and labor organizations, including the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers; the International Union of Police Associations; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and the American Federation of Teachers.
Senator Rosen has been a strong advocate for Nevada’s workers. Last year, Rosen helped introduce the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would strengthen protections for workers’ right to organize a union and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. Senator Rosen is also a co-sponsor of the FAMILY Act, which would provide all workers with twelve weeks of paid parental, medical, and caregiving leave. Senator Rosen has also helped introduce legislation to gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
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