Bargaining rights

Labor unions would gain more power with Senate legislation that would grant public safety employees the right to collective bargaining in 20 states that do not negotiate over wages and salaries now.

The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act would require the states to negotiate minimum wages and hours. In exchange, the employees would be barred from striking, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The legislation would still leave it up to states to decide whether to negotiate other benefits or contract provisions related to health and pensions for police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel. However, both are key benefits sought by unions and would likely be the case in public-safety talks as well that will drive up costs to states and municipalities.

If states do not negotiate even the minimum working conditions required in the bill, then the Federal Labor Relations Authority would take over to implement the law.

Public-employee unions are downplaying the consequences of the bill should it become law while a spokesman for the National League of Cities said it could mean added costs for cash-strapped municipalities, which could lead to increased taxes.

And it will give organized labor in the affected states more political clout.

Opponents say it is a matter of states' rights to determine whether to provide bargaining rights to their employees.

"If states and localities have chosen not to go in the direction of collective bargaining, that should be their right to do so," Neil Bomberg, lobbyist for the League of Cities, told the Journal.

Congress should leave that decision up to the states.