Oldsmar City Council Supports National Collective Bargaining Effort

August 7, 2008 – The Oldsmar, Florida, City Council has unanimously voted to support fire fighter and law enforcement personnel in opposing the League of Cities proposed initiative to fight pending federal legislation that would allow all national public safety employees the right to collective bargain.

The council reviewed several proposals from the Florida League of Cities in preparation for the
League’s Annual Legislative Conference. For the second year in a row, the League has asked its affiliates to vote in favor of an initiative to defeat the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (H.R. 980/S.2123).

If passed by the U.S. Senate and signed by the president, the bill would guarantee collective bargaining for fire fighters nationwide. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) originally introduced the bill in 1994 and has made passing a national collective bargaining law its top legislative priority.

In 2007, Oldsmar Council Member Greg Rublee attended the League’s conference as Oldsmar’s representative. Last year, Rublee researched the League’s proposal and spoke of its impact on Oldsmar, FL Local 2980. The Council voted then, as one of 2 among 412 Florida cities, and agreed to vote again
in unanimous support of public safety employees against the proposed League of Cities resolution.

Oldsmar Council member Janice Miller will represent the City of Oldsmar at the conference. Council member Miller has been tasked with casting the City’s “No” vote for the League’s proposal. Council member Miller commented that she was “appalled to realize that police and fire fighters did not already have these rights nationwide.”