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A RESOLUTION OPPOSING S. 3194, THE PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE COOPERATION ACT OF 2009
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WHEREAS, S. 3194 is now pending in the U.S. Senate and it is expected that a cloture motion will be filed to move the bill to a vote on the floor of the Senate; and
WHEREAS, S. 3194 would federalize what has historically been a state and local responsibility and with so many other pressing issues, there is no compelling reason for the federal government to intrude in this area; and
WHEREAS, states and localities are in the best position to make decisions about whether the collective bargaining process will benefit their constituents; and
WHEREAS, federally mandated collective bargaining laws for public safety employees would interfere with existing civil service laws as most states and cities already operate within a civil service laws as most states and cities already operate within a civil service system designed to provide individuals with competitive salaries and benefits tailored to their respective labor markets; and
WHEREAS, federal public safety officers do not have the right to negotiate wages and conditions of employment and cities and towns should enjoy the same privilege as the federal government; and
WHEREAS, this legislation would force states and localities to adopt federal collective bargaining standards, disregard existing state laws and ordinances that were developed to create an effective and efficient public sector work force, and place the needs of a select group of workers - public safety officers - in front of the larger needs of the community or other public sector employees; and
WHEREAS, even the states who have granted their state and local government employees the right to enter into collective bargaining arrangements of some type would be subject to Federal Labor Relations Authority review and could be out of compliance, even though those states have done so within the framework of their constitutions and state laws; and
WHEREAS, in light of the labor protections provided by state laws, labor agreements, state, county and city government civil service systems and personnel procedures, we believe that this law is unnecessary at best and potentially very damaging at worst; and
WHEREAS, states, counties, cities and towns have always been committed to providing their public safety workers with excellent working conditions, competitive salaries, excellent health and pension benefits, and a working environment that is safe and appropriate; and
WHEREAS, state, county, city and town elected officials must balance the needs of public safety workers and the needs of the citizens they represent, and passage of the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009 would alter that balance permanently and irrevocably;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA, STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That this Council and Administration of the City of Gahanna oppose S. 3194 and request rejection of any federal legislation that interferes with a local government's right to determine for itself whether the terms and conditions of employment for any of its employees shall be subject to collective bargaining.
Section 2. That this Council and Administration request rejection of any federal legislation that would provide a single class of employees - public safety workers - with special rights and privileges.
Section 3. That this Council and Administration urge the Senate to respect the long-standing principal of noninterference in employer-employee relations that has existed among the federal, state and local governments and reject the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009.
Section 4. That this resolution shall be in full force and effect at the earliest period allowed by law.