Lower Bucks Today

U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) and Matt Cartwright (PA-8) have reintroduced the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, a bill designed to safeguard the rights of public employees to join unions and engage in collective bargaining on behalf of middle-class workers.

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME to overturn more than 40 years of legal precedent, effectively stripping public employee unions of their ability to collect fees for representation they are legally required to provide workers. Since this ruling, many states have passed laws that threaten workers’ rights and weaken unions.

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act aims to level the playing field for essential workers by establishing a minimum standard of collective bargaining rights that states and localities must provide.

“Our public servants at every level of government are crucial to ensuring that the important functions of our nation are carried out each day,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “Beyond being grateful for their dedication, Congress must guarantee the rights of these employees to organize and collectively bargain. I am proud to co-lead the bipartisan Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act which will do just that, expanding protections for those who work tirelessly for the benefit of my constituents in Bucks and Montgomery Counties and for communities across the country.”

“I will always fight to maintain collective bargaining rights for hard-working Americans, including my constituents in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where union rights are a time-honored tradition,” said Congressman Cartwright. “Strong public and private sector unions built the middle class in our country. With all of the progress workers of all stripes have made, now is not the time to turn back the clock on fair pay and workplace protections when struggling families need it the most.”

Research indicates that union members employed by state governments earn 17 percent more than their non-union counterparts, while those employed by local governments earn 35 percent more than their non-union counterparts. Despite this, many states prohibit their public-sector employees from engaging in collective bargaining to improve wages or working conditions.

The proposed legislation would empower the Federal Labor Relations Authority to protect the rights of state, territorial, and local government employees where states fail to provide basic collective bargaining rights. The legislation is endorsed by numerous labor unions.

“We applaud Senator Hirono and Representatives Cartwright and Fitzpatrick for again introducing the bipartisan Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which would finally give public service workers nationwide collective bargaining rights,” said American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lee Saunders.

“The Teamsters are proud to endorse the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, guaranteeing all public sector workers the right to organize and join a union, and this bill establishes a standard that states must meet,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien.