IFPTE Applauds House Introduction of the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act
Labor Law Reform Bill “Empowers Public Sector Workers to Form and Join Unions”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC – The executive officers of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) issued the following statements in response to yesterday’s introduction by Congressmen Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) of the bipartisan Public Sector Freedom to Negotiate Act.
IFPTE President, Matt Biggs:
“IFPTE applauds both Representatives Cartwright and Fitzpatrick for reintroducing this much needed legislation to protect the rights of state, county, and municipal workers to form and join unions. This bill, which is response to the deplorable decision by the Supreme Court in 2018 to overturn decades old precedent in favor of rendering all state and local government employers as ‘right to work for less’ workplaces, is desperately needed to bring protections back to workers employed in the public sector. This bill will permit public sector workers throughout the United States to gain respect and a say in their workplaces. It will empower public sector workers to form and join unions and IFPTE is proud to support it.”
IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson:
“It is truly unfortunate that a bill like this is even needed in the United States. As it stands now, public sector workers in almost half the States in the nation are blocked by law from enjoying meaningful collective bargaining rights and due process protections on the job. This bill, to its credit, will reverse that by giving workers a fair and unfettered opportunity to form unions, and to gain a contract after voting in the union. IFPTE is pleased to endorse the legislation.”
IFPTE sent a letter on September 29th, before the bill was introduced, urging House lawmakers to be original cosponsors of the bill. View the IFPTE letter here, and learn more about the legislation here.
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